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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



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Published Monthly By Subscription $1 20 Per Annum April 1894. 
Entered at the New York Post OflSce as Second Clas's Matter Copyright, 1894, by P. M. Luptos. 




The Practical Guide to Floriculture. 



By EBKX E. REXFOKD. 



HoM^ to Have a Good Flower Garden 



Most lovers of flowers will want a garden if 
donditiona are favorable to their Laving one. 
Those living in the country will find few diflScul- 
tiea in the way, but those living in the city will 
often have "to make a tight of it " to overcome 
the conditions which prevail there. But " where 
there is a will there is a way " holds good here 
as in other undertakings, and the woman who 
has a genuine love of flowers in her heart will 
contrive to have at least a few common kinds 
growing in her back yard, if she lives in the city 
whore front yards are the property of the 
wealthy. 

Let me give a few simple, practical inetruc- 
tions about making a garden in the country, and 
the dweller in the city who would like to grow a 
few flowers for herself can apply them to her 
gardening operations as completfly as possible. 
being sure that the nearer she comes to having 
her city garden prepared like the country gar- 
den the surer she will be of getting good results. 
Of course she cannot overcome all unfavorable 
conditions, but she can attempt to do so, and 
the more successful ber attempts the better her 
chances of having good flowers. 

Tho initial step in making a good garden con- 
eists in having the ground spaded or plowed at 
least a foot deep. Do this as early as possible in 
spring. You need not try to pulverize it at the 
time of spading or plowiog. It will generally be 
80 wet and heavy at that time that this cannot 
be done with any degree of sucoess. Let it lay 
and take the benefit of a sun-bath for a few 
days. Gradually the water will drain out of it, 
and in a week's time you can go over it and 
knock the chunks of soil apart with a hoe. 

After this is done, spread a liberal application 
of manure over the bed, and take especial pains 
to work this in well with the native soil. 

The best manure is that from the cow-yard. It 
should have lain long enough to become thor- 
oughly rotten. If black and easily crumbled, it 
IS in the proper condition. Fresh manure is 
never advisable. Rather than use such a fertil- 
izer I would depend on slops and soap-suds from 
washing day to furnish nutriment for my plants. 
If in the city, stable manure is not easily obtain- 
able, and bone-meal or other commercial fertil- 
izers can be used. Instructions as to quantity and 
manner of application will accompany each kind, 
eo that no mistake need be made in their use. 

Don't be afraid of expending too much work 
on your flower-beds. You cannot have them too 
fine or mellow. Much of your success depends 
on the condition of the soil at the time of sowing 
seed ; therefore dig it over, and stir it, and {.pul- 
verize it, until it 18 free from all lumps, and see 



that whatever fertilizer is used is thoroughly in- 
corporated with it. 

If you want a good garden, you will have to 
work m it a good deal after you have made your 
beds and sowed your seed. That is merely the 
beginning of the season's work. 

Look out for weeds every day. Pull all you 
find to-day, and to-morrow you'll find more to 
pull. Eternal vigilance is the price of a good 
garden. No garden is a good one in which 
weeds are permitted to grow. There can be no 
compromise between weeds and flowers. If 
weeds are allowed to develop, the flowers will bo 
crowded out early in the season ; therefore it is 
of the greatest importance that they should 
never be allowed to get a foothold. Let war be- 
gin against them as soon as they put in an ap- 
pearance, and let it be kept up until you have 
convinced them that they stand no chance of bo- 
coming established in your garden-beds. 

Stir the soil about your plants at least twice a 
week, using a narrow- bladed hoe among tho 
larger ones, and a weeder among the smaller 
kinds. Water at evening, if the season is a dry 
one. This is very important early in the exist- 
ence of the plant, because then it has short 
roots which do not penetrate the soil far enough 
to get tho benefit of moisture several inches be- 
low the surface. Later on they will be able to 
dy this, but until they reach that stage of devel- 
opment they must be carefully watered if there 
is lack of rain. 

In long seasons of drouth, and in localities 
wh^re thp soil is light and dries out rapidly, it 
will be necessary to supply water frequently and 
regularly. In giving water, do it at night, never 
in the morning. If given in the morning, tbe 
sun gets at It, and causes it to evaporate so rap- 
idly that tho plant receives but little benefit from 
the moisture before it is dissipated. It does not 
have time and the chance to get down to tho 
roots of the plants where it must get in order to 
do any good. If applied at night evaporatioa 
does not take place to any great extent, and the 
soil drinks it in, and before morning the plants' 
roots have appropriated it. 

Many persons cease to hoe their gardens in » 
dry season, thinking that the more open and po- 
rous the soil is the more rapidly it wiU dry out. 
So they let the beds become crusted over. Their 
inference is wrong. The plants in those beds 
that are frequently stirred will retain their 
freshness long after those in the crusted-over 
beds have became to turn yellow. Why? Be- 
cause the light, op<'u, porous soil is in just the 
condition to take in and make use of all the 
moisture that comes ^long— and there is more 



THE PEACTICAL GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 



in an ordinary dew-fall than many suppose— 
wbile the bed that is covered with a crust does not 
permit any moisiure from such a source to pen- 
etrate it. Light, open soils absorb moisture as 
a sponge does. This is wliy the hoe should bo 
used on the garden-bed in a dry season. 

You will see the benefit of having the soil in 
this condition if you apply water. Every drop 
of it will be takenin just where and as soon as 
it is applied, but on the crusted-over bed a large 
amount will run away before the crust is soak^-d 
through, and no water can get down to the roots 
ti.l this 18 done. 

Therefore, stir the soil often and thoroughly 
ia a dry season. 

Save the suds from washing day and the slop 
basin and empty tbem on your flowerbeds. 
They are too valuable to throw away. 

Oneof theessnntialsof a good garden is— good 
seed. You should always aim to get the best 
that is to be had. Never buy the cheap stuff 
which is freely offered. It is always sure to 
prove dear in the end. Most of it is old seed, 
bought at a low price, and it cannot be depended 
on. Buy only of those dealers who have a repu- 
tation for hoDOsty and fair dealing. They han- 
dle only such seed as they know will prove satis- 
faciory. 

1 would advise sowing seeds of most plants in 
pots or boxes out of doors, rather than in the 
bed where you intend them to grow, because 
you have them under better control when young 
when sown in this way. If sown in the beds, 
fine seeds often fail to germinate because they 
an^ covered too deeply. Weeds are sure to ap- 
pear as soon as you give them a chance to start, 
and if you sow flower-seeds in the beds, it is 
often difficult and sometimes impossible to tell 
" which le which " at first, and by the time you 
are able to distinguish weeds from flowers, the 
former have got the start of the latter. If seed 
is sown in boxes, this is not likely to happen. 
In transplanting seedlings from boxes, there is 
no waste of plants. You use enough to till your 
b°ds, and no moro, and what you have left can 
be given to your friends, or to those who cannot 
afiford to buy seed. If flower lovers would start 



their plants in boxes of fine, light soil, and caro 
for them properly, I am sure there would bo 
less complaint about worthless seed. When I 
see how many persons sow their seed in the 
garden-bed, I do not wonder that many kinds 
tail to grow. They are scattered over a rough 
surface, raked in in such a manner as to cover 
some two or three inches deep with soil, and 
others not at all, and then left to be dried out 
by hot sunshine, or soaked to death by heavy, 
cold rains. By starting your seed in boxes all 
this can be avoided. I would not sow very early 
in the season in boxes out of doors, because 
nothing is gained by it. We are not attempting 
to get early plants by this method, simply to 
start plants in such a manner that they can get 
better attention during the early stage of growth 
than they would be likely to receive if sowed 
directly in the beds. In short, as I have already 
remarked, by sowing them in boxes, we have 
them under better control than when sowed in 
the bed, and that is quite important. April is 
quite early enough to start hardy annuals into 
growth, if you wait until that time your seed- 
lings can be kept out of doors nearly all the 
time. Should a cold spell come along, the boxes 
can bo covered with blankets, or old carpet, or 
newspapers. Grown without fire heat, and where 
they have a free circulation of air, th^y will be 
as strong and healthy in all ways as plants sown 
in the beds ever are. 

If you want your plants to flower freely during 
the greater part of the season, it is very impor- 
tant that you keep them from ripening seed. If 
you allow them to form and develop seed, as 
they will attempt to do, you will get but few flow- 
ers after the first crop. All their energies will be 
bent to the one purpose of p»»rfecting seed 
whereby to perpetuate themselves. But if you 
thwart them in this attempt by cutting off the 
seed-veasels as soon as seen, they will straight- 
way set about making another effort to carry 
out their desire, ami you will get another crop 
of flowers. By persistent eftbrt on your part to 
prevent the formation of seed, you can keep 
most plants blooming until quite late in the sea- 
son, 



THE BFST ANNUAiy. 



The Best Annuals. 



I WOULD always advise amateur floriculturists 
to select old and tested varieties of anauala for 
the summer flower garden. In doing this, they 
are sure of gettiug something they can depend 
on. They run no risks. Others have given these 
plants repeated trials, and they have not been 
"found wanting." But if the amateur gets a 
craze for " novelties," he is quite sure to meet 
with disappointment. Some of the new plants 
are good, of course ; some very good indeed, 
but the majority prove worthless after being 
given a thorough trial. To prove this, look over 
your old catalogues, and you will find that by 
if'ar the greater share of the " novelties" intro- 
duced with such a verbal flourish of trumpets 
gpnerally drop out of the list after a year or two, 
and are heard of no more. Why V Because they 
had nothing but their novelty to recommend 
them to the flower-loving public, and as soon as 
this was found out there was uo further use for 
them. To become popular and remain so, a 
flowpr must have real merit. To indulge a de- 
sire for novelties, one must often put as much 
money into one or two kinds, as the plants with 
which a large garden is filled would cost him, 
because these new plants are always sold at 
fancy prices. It is always -wise to invest this 
money in something you know to be good. If 
the new plants are really meritorious, you will 
fiad it out later on, and then you can buy thom. 
But let those who have plenty of monpy to ex- 
periment with ascertain the facts relative to 
tfapir merits or demerits. 

Because the test of many years has proved 
how meritorious the standard flowers of the 
catalogues are, I feel safe in advising amateur 
florists to confine their selections to that list. 
They can be sure of having good flowers from 
them if thi'"y give them a reasonable amount of 
care, and without that care no flower will be 
satisfactory. Most of them are kinds that re- 
qiiire but little attention after they have got well 
started. Given a good, mellow soil to grow in, 
fret'dom from weeds, and water, if the season 
should prove to bo a dry one, they will bloom 
profusely ; and if kept from perfecting seed, 
most varieties will continue to bloom throughout 
the greater part of the season. 

Sweet Peas. 

Of these moat beautiful flowers you will want 
a variety. Some of the newer sorts are simply 
exqoisite, with their charming combinations of 
dainty and delicate colors. Pink and white, 
pink and cream, pale yellow and pure white, 
scarlet and white, blue' and white, mauve and 
lilac— there seems no end to the list of desirable 
varieties. The seed should be sown as soon as 
possible in spring. Sow in trenches at least 
tour icchi^s d^ep. If sowed late in the season 
or in shallow soil, they will be jDretry sure to 
fail. They must get an early start, and their 
rooTs must reach down below the upper soil, 
where moisture and a certain degree of cool- 
ness is to be found at all times. This is one of 
the best flowers we have to cut from. Be sure 
to have a row of them. 



Nattturtiums. 

These are excellent for bedding, also for cut- 
ting. Do not give them a ve-y rich soil, as that 
induces a rank growth of vine, and gives but 
few flowers. The Nasturtium com»s in exceed- 
ingly rich colors, orange and scarlet predomi- 
nating. Some varieties are a pure yellow, 
marked with maroon, others a soft cream with 
darker veins. Plant by themselves. 

Petunias. 

This flower is of the easiest possible cul- 
ture. It comr>8 in various shades of violet, pur- 
ple, red, mauve and pink, and in pure white, 
and white striped and blotched or veiued with 
other colors. We have yeiy few flowers that 
make a braver show of color, or that bloom 
more profusely or constantly. By cutting back 
the tops from time to time, new shoots will be 
sent up that will bear flowers quite as Ireely as 
the first ones. Some of the latest varieties, 
with fringed petals, are very fine. B^ all means 
keep this plant in a bed by itsolf, as it does not 
combine well with anything else. 

Calliopsis. 

This annual is one of the best flowers we have 
in yellow. It is very bright and rich in color, 
ranging from a rich golden yellow to a deep 
orange, and its central markiiigs of dark brown 
or maroon are exceedingly fine. It is a profuse 
bloomer and excellent for catting. This is one 
of our best flowers for fildng the center of a bed 
from which a dazzling show of color is desired. 
Unlike most other annuals, this combines well 
with other flowers of harmonizing colors, pro- 
vided it is massed in th*^ center and the others 
are planted about it as a border. 

Ten Week Stock. 

This flower is a late bloomer, and, on. that 
account, very desirable. It is also a very beau- 
tiful flower and very sweet. It blooms profusely 
up to the coming of snow, and, if potted care- 
fully and cut back pretty well at the time of 
potting, can be made a good winter bloomer. 
It comes in various shades of red and purpie 
and pure white. About half the young plants 
will produce single flowers. These should be 
pulled up as soon as the character of the flowers 
IS seen. . This is the Gillyflower of our grand- 
mothers. It is very fine for cutting. 

Balsams. 

Charming summer bloomers of many colors 
and shades. The double varieties are as large 
as a Camellia, which they resemble so much lu 
form that one strain is called Camellia-flowered. 
In order to get the finest efi"ect8 from them, tne 
leaves must bp clipped ofi" or the flowers will be 
hidden. The blossoms are set thickly together 
all along the main stalks and the branches. 

Asters. 

This is our very best fall flower. It comes into 
bloom late in August and continues until frost. 



THE PRACTICAL GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 



There are several distinct varieties, all of which 
are very fine. 8ome are tall fjrowers, others 
dwarf. Their colors are red, blue, pink, purple 
ami pure white, and many sorts combine these 
colors in a most charming manner. In form they 
closely resemble the popular Chrysanthemum, 
for which sorno of the white varieties are sold 
in fall. No garden should be without this flower. 
Because of its late-blooming character, it should 
be given a place at one side, as it is not orna- 
mental during the summer. 

Pblox. 

This flower is a favorite because it bloms 
with such wonderful profusion all through the 
snason if prevented from forming seed, aud be- 
cause of its rich and varied coloring. The piuk, 
and rose, and pure white sorts are best. It is 
of the easiest culture. Fine for bed where a 
great show of color is wanted. 

Morning Glories. 

The best tall flowering climber we have. Ex- 
cellent for covering verandas, porches and 
screens. It often reaches to the top of the 
second story windows if given stout strings to 
climb by. its colors are blue, purple, pink and 
white, exceedingly rich and delicate. An old 
favorite. 

Poppies. 

Old, but none the worse for that. Very showy 
and easily grown. Some of the lately introduced 
varieties, like the Shirley strain, 're intensely 
bright in color, and give a grand show if planted 
in masses. 

NeJnopbilH. 

Very dainty, delicate flowers, of soft, light 
colors. Useful for cutting. 

Portulacea. 

The best plant I know of for a very dry, sunny 
location. It flourishes under conditions that 
would be death to most plants. Its flowers are 
of many rich colors, some siugl*^, some double. 
All pretty, and produced in the greatest profu- 
sion. It is a low grower, and therefore fine for 
beds near the path, or under the windows where 
one can look down upon them. 

Amarantbus. 

This flower is not very desirable on account of 
its individual beauty, but for massing, or plant- 
ing whore it can show its mass of color striking- 
ly, it is very effective. The foliage is red and 
greon, the flowers in long, drooping racemes of 
dark red. Exceedingly showy for large beds, 
especially if bordered with Golden Feather Py- 
rethrum of some of the orange Nasturtiums. 

Ageratum. 

A noat little bushy plant, bearing clusters of 
feathery blue and white flowers, which are very 
fine for cutting. Very delicate in tint. Fine for 
boquet work. 

Antirrhinum. 

The well-known old Snapdragon. Very bril- 
liant in color. Scarlet and yellow, orange and 



scarlet with white throat, crimscn and white, 
yellow and blotched. 

Allyssum 

A good edging plant, bearing small, pure, 
white flowers m clusters. Very fragrant. Fine 
for cutting. Effective when grown in masses, 
whe'-c a broad show of white is desirable. 

Candytuft. 

A profuse bloomer, fine for massing or edging. 
White and carmine. Of the easiest culture. 

Celosia. 

A peculiar flower, that never fails to attract 
attention, ^etter known as Cockscomb, because 
of the resen-blance of its ruflle spikes of flowers 
to the comb of Chanticleer. Rich in colors of 
red and Cximeon and yellow. Very desirabli^, 
not only because of its rich coloring, but be- 
cause of its strikiBg form. 

I^arkspur, 

The annual Larkspurs are all charming flow- 
ers. Double and single. 

Bscbscboltzia. 

One of the most showy of all plants. Colors, 
orange, yellow and creamy white. Better known 
as California Poppy. Great bloomers. 

Gaillardias. 

Very free blooming flowers, of red and yellow, 
red and orange, red and white, and various other 
combinations of colors. 

Mirabilis. 

The old Four-o'clock. Fine for a hedge or 
screen. White, violet and crimson ; some va- 
rieties blotched and striped in a most peculiar 
manner. Very free bloomer. 

Marigold. 

One of the good old flowers which ought not 
to be overlooked. The French varieties, with 
their rich yellows and velvety browns, are very 
fine. Fine for massing. 

Mignonette. 

Not showy, but so sweet ! Every garden should 
have plenty of it to cut from, 

Scabiosa. 

Very richly colored dark flowers, which are 
excellent for cutting, as they are borne on long, 
wiry stems. Good, when dried, for winter 
flowers. 

Zinnia. 

A strong - growing, branching plant, that is 
most effective when grown in the background, 
in beds, hedges, or as screens. Colors, scarlet, 
yellow, orange, red, purple, salmon and pure 
white. Mostly very double and shaped like the 
Dahlia. 

I shall not extend the list of desirable annuals, 
because it would be impossible to give space to 
the mention of all, and 1 have already named 



THE BEST ANNUALS. 



enough to afford the most enthusiastic amateirr 
a wide range of selection. All named are good. 
There are many not in the list that are worthy a 
place in any garden, and the catalogues will tell 
all about them. But those named here are kinds 
best adapted to the amateur, because they are 
not delicate, and do not need coaxing in order 
to get them to bloom. 
In selecting annuals, do not make the mistake 



—to which, I think, I have alluded elsewhere— 
of getting more than you can do justice to. 
Have fewer sorts, and grow these to perfection, 
rather than undertake to grow a great many 
kinds, and find that you cannot give them the 
care they ought to have. Quality rather than 
quantity should be the motto of the amateur 
flower grower, if he would attain to the highest 
success and satisfaction. 



THE PRACTICAL GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 



Carpet Bedding. 



Carpet Bedding— in other words, such an ar- 
rangement of plants of varioua colors as to work 
cut patterns and d^-signa similar to or suggestive 
of those seen in carpets— is very popular, and 
moat yards or gardens have a specimen or two 
of this kind of gardening each summer, and on 
large lawns we find many of them, some large 
beds often containing several thousand plants. 
The great city parks contain most elaborate do- 
signs, many, "if not most of them, being more 
striking than beautiful. ^ The only " designs" I 
have ever seen that I 'admired were tbose in 
which geometrical patterns were worked out. 
Portraits, animals and the like attract attention, 
but there is nothing artistic about them ; indeed, 
they are burle-^qucs on art, and one soon be- 
comes tired of ibem, while a less pretentious 
bed in which angles and circles of contrasting 
colors interlace with each other, affords the eye 
a bit of brightness that pleases, at least if it 
does not educate, the taste to a love for and 
appreciation of something more truly artistic. 

Flowering plants should never be used in 
workiog out these designs, for several rea.sons : 

-F'lVsm/.— Because a flower was made to be ad- 
mired for its own beauty— that beauty which 
consists in form and color and habit of growth. 
If you use it for mere color-effect, as you must 
when you work it into a carpet, bed, you degrade 
it, because you do not grow it for individual 
beauty; rather, for the mass of color, which can 
be secured by planting it so close together that 
all individuality is lost sight of in general efifect. 
Flowers were not made for such purposes, I be- 
lieve, and the true lover of them will not care 
to use them in such a manner as to destroy their 
principal charm. 

Secondly.— T^o flowering plants with which I 
have had any experience bloom so profusely 
throughout tlie season that they can b^ relied 
on to give good results when used in combina- 
tion with plants having richly-colored foliage. 
In order to secure a solid effect of color, some- 
thing having more "body "than that afforded 
by most flowering plants must be tised. We of- 
ten say that a plant is " covered with flowers," 
but the truth is that it is never really covered in 
the literal sense of the word. There may be a 
great many blossoms, biit they are seldom so 
plentiful as to give the fffect oif a solid mass of 
color. Instead, they give us blotches of color on 
a green ground, which is not what we require in 
order to produce most satisfactory results. Such 
results ran only be secured by using plants 
whose foliage furnishes a mass of color among 
which no other colors are seen, unless it bap- 
pens to be variegated, in which case the effect 
IS quite different from that given by flowers 
scattered over a plant. 

r/iircHy— There is a lack of complete har- 
mony between "foliage" plants and flowering 
plants. The former can be clipped and kept 
even as to height without, interfering with gen- 
eral effect, while flowering plants throw up 
stalks of unequal height and of spreading habit, 
thus breaking up regularity aiul eliarpnoss ot 
outline, on which much of the success you aim 

r 



at depends. You cannot clip these plants back 
as you can the others, because in doing that 
you would cut off the flowers, thus destroying 
quantities of that color on which you depend 
for the effoct sought. The onlv way in which 
you can secure this color-effect from them is by 
letting them grow, and when this is done, as I 
have said, the effect is rough and uneven. It is 
not so with plants having foliage whose color 
enables you to work out a design. Cut off their 
tops, or shorten their side branches, and leaves 
still remain to give sufiicient color, and other 
leaves will be produced alonj? the branches, 
thus making it possible to keep up a show of 
color throughout the entire season, without sac- 
riflciog rpgularity and symmetry. 

The only way in which I would'combine flower- 
ing plants and plants having bright foliage, is 
bv using the latter as edging or border for a 
tied. In doing this great care should be taken 
in the selection of varieties, or inharmonious 
effects will result. Iroagioe a bed of pink Phlox 
surrounded with crimson Coleus! Border such 
a bed with Madame Salleroi Geraniums, with 
their pale green and pure white foliage, and the 
combination would be most charming. 

The plants most used for carjjet bedding are 
Coleus,' Achyi-anthes, Alternantheras, Feverfew, 
or Pyrethruin, Centaurea and Geraniums. 

In" Coleus we get several shades of red, rang- 
ing from a light tint to one so dark that it is al- 
most maroon. Verschafelti, an old sort, is still 
one of the best amoug the red-leaved class. It 
retains its color well throughout the hottest 
season, bears fr^^quent and severe clippings 
well, and furnishes a mass of solid color which 
forms an excellent background for the relief or 
display of lighter colors. 

Yellbwbird, a variety having foliage of a bright 
yellow, furnishes perhaps the best mass of this 
color of any variety we nave. It compares very 
favorably in all ways with Verschafelti, with 
which it can be most effectively used, the con- 
trast and harmony between the two being very 
fine. There are "other varieties having yellow 
foliage, but the one named is as good as any I 
have any knowledge of. 

The varieties of Coleus having foliage varie- 
gated with red, white and yellow are pretty, but 
because of the broken effect of the many colors 
in the same loaf they are not as useful as the 
plain-leaved sorts in bringing out a pattern. 

Achyranthesand Alternantheras are mostly in 
red and yellow, with combinations of pink and 
white. Some of the crimson sorts are very fine. 
They do not produce such a solid, clear color- 
effect as the Coleus does, because of their 
blended colors, but they are favorites becaiise 
they form a dense, low mass of f\)liage which 
has", at a little distance, a vdvety look, and their 
mixtures of hues and tints gives them a 
"changeable" effect which is quite pleasing, 
and imitates to some degree the gi-ound of a 
Turkish carpet, in which several colors are used 
together without any attempt to work out a pat- 
tern bv them. 

The"Golden Fevorfew, or Pyrethrum— "Gold- 



CARPET BEBBING. 



en Feather '" — as catalogued by some dealers, id 
a charming plant, where maasea of delicate 
yellow are required, its feathery foliage produc- 
ing a light and graceful effect. It cannot be 
clipped closely as the other plants can without 
destroying considerable beauty, which consists 
almost as much in the delicacy of its foliage as 
in its peculiarity of color. 

The'Centaurea has foliage of a soft gray, and 
this neutral color makes it very valuable for use 
as a background to richer and brighter colors. 
It is of nearly the same habit of growth as the 
Feverfew described above, and mu.jt not be too 
closely clipped. 

The Madame Salleroi Geranium is a favorite, 
because it rquu-es no clipping, no training of 
any kind. When left to itself, it forms a rounded 
mass of foliage, thick to the base of the plant. 
It seldom grows to be more than a foot in height 
and about the same acroas, and can bo used to 
form liies or masses of solid foliage of most 
symmetrical outline, because of its close, com- 
pact habit of growth. Its leaves are a pale 
green, edged and flaked with pure white. It is 
extremely eflfeclive when used in combination 
with the darker varieties of Coleus. 

Blarshal McMahon Geranium is a good bedder, 
having greenish-yellow leaves with a dark-brown 
zone. This is suitable for beds in which tall- 
growing plants are used, as it is a sturdy grower 
and does not branch much when kept low— that 
ia, not sufiScii'ntly to form thick, low plants well 
set with foliage. The Jloun'ain of Snow variety 
can be used with it quite effectively, as it is of 
about the same size and habit. Its foliage is 
green and white. 

In selecting designs for carpet-bedding on a 
small lawn, or in a yard of ordinary size, I would 
advise choosing those in which the " pattern " 
to be brought out is quite distinct and simple. 
Those having elaborate or intricate patterns are 
better left to the professional gardner, who not 
only understands the habit of the plants used 
better than the amateur dooa, and consequently 
knows what care is required by them, but will 
be more likely to give them the necessary atten- 
tion, upon which the greater share of success in 
this line of gardening depends. It requires a 
great deal of work and daily attention to make 
an intricate pattern successful ; but a simple 
design is less exacting, consequently bptter 
suited to the amateur, who will not be likely to 
devote a large share of his time to taking care 
of bis garden. 

When you have your beds planted, the work is 
only half done. After the plants become estab- 
lished and growth begins, you must go over 
them frequently with the pruning-shears and 
trim them into symmetrical shape, and they 
roust be kept so. If allowed to grow undipped 
and uncarod for, they soon become straggling 
and awkward in shape, and the sharpness of 
outline on which the clearness of the pattern 
depends is lost. Each color and variety must 
bo kept within proper limits. Plants in one row 
must never be allowed to send into or over those 
in another row. The plants must be given to 
understand that " thus far shalt thou go and no 
farther." Clipping off all branches showing a 
tendency to "reach up" must be attended to 



quite aa regularly as those inclined to " spread 
out." 

I wish to emphasize this advice, because 
most amateurs are prone to neglect this part of 
the work, and the consequence is that their 
beda, as a general thing, have a hazy and indis- 
tinct appearance as to design. If properly cared 
for, each color will be as clearly defined as con- 
trasting colors in a carpet pattern, and the sur- 
face of the bed will bo a thick, close mass of 
foliage of the same height, rounding down on 
the edges to the sward in which it is set. 

As a general thing, beds in which these plants 
are usod should not be given much manure, as 
that encourages too rank a growth. 

A slow, steady development is what is wanted. 
In a soil of moderate richness, the joints of the 
plants will not be far apart, therefore there will 
be many leaves, and those will not be coarse or 
overgrown. In a rich soil you will have long- 
jointed plants, few leaves, and theae large, giv- 
ing a much less satiafactory effect than you get 
with slower growth, such as soil of only moder- 
ate richness gives you. 

Perhaps some reader would be glad to have 
me suggest some combinations of the plants 
named tor small beds. I take pleasure in do- 
ing so : 

A star is always effective, and it is easily 
made. One containing but two colors has the 
merit of great simplicity, and is quite sure to 
please. Fill the center with crimson Coleus, 
edging the design with yellow Coleus, or Golden 
Feverfew. Should you care to use three colors, 
run a row of the gray Centaurea between the 
two colors of Coleus, or use this in the center 
with the two Coleuses to fill out the design. If 
your star is a large one, a group of Cannas will 
be very pretty in the center: or, if you want 
something still more tropical in appearance, 
have a Ricinus, or Castor Oil Bean, with its 
great palmate leaves three feet across, forming 
a most attractive object as a center-pieco. 

A Maltese cross is very pretty with a center of 
Achyranthes or Alternantheras, edged with red 
or yellow Coleus. Or the center can be Mad- 
ame Salleroi Geraniums, with an edging of red 
Coleus. 

Circular beds are very easy to make, and look 
well in the curve of a path. In small beds, have 
but two or three rows of plants. If your bed is 
a large one, have a row of small circles around 
the outside, overlapping each other. A fine 
effect can be secured by planting the overlap- 
ping circles in red and yellow Colenaes, the cir- 
cles of each color alternating. Fill in between 
with Achyranthes or Alternanth'^ras, and edge 
the bed with Centaurea or Pyrethrum. This will 
make a very pretty bed if well taken care of. If 
raised in the center the effect will be finer than 
if flat. If situated at a prominent point on the 
lawn, a large group of Cannas or Eicinus as a 
center will add greatly to its effect. 

Do not adhere to old designs. Originate some, 
and thus avoid having your garden a duplicate 
of your neighbor's. But do not make the mis- 
take of selecting a too elaborate design, or of 
having too many of them. A small yard cannot 
stand many beds of this kind. One is quite 
enough for "the ordinary yard. 



THE FEAGTIGAL GUIDE TO FLORICULTTntE. 



Summer Blooming Bulbs, and Plants for 
Tropical Effects. 



The very best snmmer-blooming bulb we have 
is the Gladiolus. 

Nothing can compare with it favorably in rich 
and varied coloring. It ranges through all 
shades of scarlet, crimson, rose, violet, lilac and 
carmine, to white and pale, delicate yellow, and 
nearly all varieties have such combinations of 
all these colors, in blotches, flakings and stripes, 
that words fail one in attempting to describe 
them. The only term that suits this flower is - 
magnificent. It has the delicacy of the Lily, as 
to texture, and the brilliant tints of all our most 
vivid flowers in its wide range of colors. 

No flower is of easier cultivation. The soil 
should be Ught, rich, and mellow. Plant the 
bulbs six inches deep. Do this in May, when 
the ground has become warm, but not before. 

The finest effects are produced hy planting in 
groups, or masses. I would advise planting 
never less than half a dozen bulbs together. Do 
this, and you got a large enough number of 
flower-stalks to give a massive effect, which is 
not th<^ case when bulbs are planted singly. 

If planted in rows, put tbo bulbs close to- 
gether, and string wires along tho rows, fmm 
stakes set at each end, to tie the flow^r-stalka 
to. If this is not done, they are likely to be 
blown over or broken dowu by sudden winds. 

In fall, after frost has killed the tops, dig tho 
bulbs, and expose to the sunshine for three or 
four days, covering at night. Then cut the 
stalks to within six inches of the bulb, and put 
them away in a cool room un(il the stalk is ready 
to separate from the root. Then put the roots 
in dry sawdust, or buckwheat hulls, and store in 
a room safe from frost, but not warm enough to 
induce growth. 

Very fine collections of tho Gladiolus can be 
bought for small sums of money, of all dealers. 
In no way can more satisfaction bo gained for 
money expended on the garden. 

Tuberose. 

This bulb would be cultivated extensively by 
flow'^r- lovers everywhere, if it could be de- 
pended on. But there is so much failure with 
it that not many attempt to grow it. It must be 
started early, given a light, rich, warm soil when 
put out in the garden, and protected from the 
slightest frost. Care mnst bo taken to get flow- 
ering bulbs. At the north a bulb does not flowir 
a second time. Some unscrupulous dealers will 
gf'nd out old bulbs, knowing that they will not 
bloom. Buy your bulbs of reliable dealers only. 

Dahlias. 

This plant is not of bulbous nature, but refer- 
ence to it belongs hero, as it is a summer 
bloomer, like the Gladiolus. 

It is not a satisfactory plant at the north, un- 
less started into growth early in the season, be- 



cause it is a native of the south, where the sea- 
son is long and warm, and generally moist. To 
succeed with it at the north, wo must start ir, 
early, give it a rich soil, when planted out, and 
largo quantities of water. If this is done, we 
can bring it into bloom in July and August, thus 
getting flowers before the time of frost. If the 
tubers are not started to growing before being 
planted out, the plants will generally be full of 
buds by the time frost comes, and a slight frost 
will kill them. 

The double varieties are very showy, but I do 
not like them as well as the semi-double and 
single sorts. The range of colors is very wide, 
and richer colors are found in no flower. 

Iiilies. 

Perhaps these flowers ought to have been 
treated of in another chapter, because they are 
hardy plants ; but they are summer blootiier.--, 
and I speak of them here bf-cause they come 
into bloom along with the Dahlia and the Gladi- 
olus. They should be planted in fall, when Hya- 
cinths and Tulips are, and in soil prepared ex- 
actly as advised for those bulbs. 
I Every garden should have its bed of Lilies ; 
I or, if one does not care to have them in beds, 
they can be planted in groups, among shrub- 
bery, or in the border. They are beautiful any- 
where. After becoming well established, they 
require very little care. Once a year, dig some 
old and well-rotted manure in about them, tak- 
ing care to not disturb the roots. Throw some 
leaves or litter over them in fall. 

The following are good kinds for the amateur 
to begin with : 

Speciosum ruhrum, white, spotted with red. 

Speciosum album, white, slightly tinged with 
rose. 

Auratum, the Gold-Banded Lily. A superb 
sort, white, spotted with chocolate-crimson, with 
a bright yellow band down the center of each 
petal. One of the best. 

BatemauniiB, apricot yellow. 

Tigrinuni, the well-known old Tiger Lily— 
orangf, spotted with black. 

Candidum -pure white, and exquisitely b<>au- 
tiful. Flowors large, and trumpet-shaped. Very 
fin<^, but not entirely hardy at the extreme north. 
Where it can be depended on, it is one of the 
most desirable varieties. 

CaJudium. 

This plant has enormous leaves, and is very 
eff"ective when grouped in the center of a large 
bed. It must be given a rich soil and plenty of 
water. 

3Iusa. 

Musa ensete, or Banana, is a very striking plant 
wbou well growQ. Like the Caana and Cala- 



SUMMER BLOOMING BULBS, ETC. 



dium, it must be Kiv<^n a deep, strong soil. The 
leaves are frequently four and five feet long, and 
give a most striking appearance to any bed in 
which the plants are grown. This plant com- 
bines well with the Canna. 

Catinas. 

These plants are becoming more popular 
every year. They were formerly grown for their 
foliage, which is large and luxuriant, uouse* 



quontly well adapted for beds where tropical ef- 
fects are desired. During the past few years, 
florists have produced varieties having flowers 
almost as large and fine as a Gladiolus blossom, 
and the Canna now has a great future before it 
as a flowering plant. In order to secure the best 
results, give the roots a very deep, rich soil, and 
plant close together. Effective when planted in 
beds by itself, or in combination with other 
plants having tropical foliage. 



10 



THE Pli ACTIO AL GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 



Herbaceous Plants, 



Evert year I am more and more impressed with 
the value of hardy plants for the amateur florist. 
They are good for jeare, when properly planted 
and thoroughly established, and given such care 
as tliey require, which is slight in comparison 
•with that demanded by nearly all other classes 
of plants grown by the amateur florist. 

The term " proper care " is one in which there 
are several degrees. 

In the lower degree it means simply keeping 
■weeds from encroachmg on th^ plants, and that 
is about all the care such plants as those under 
consideration in this chapter will be likely to re- 
ceive from many amateurs. And it ia a fact that 
most varieties will do quite well with this limited 
attention, and that is something that cannot be 
said of annuals. 

The next degree adds to keeping down the 
weeds, the regular and liberal fertiliz^ition of the 
soil, which is a matter of prime importance in 
developing the plants in a manner calculate'l to 
satisfy the enthusiastic florist who is not con- 
tent with simply getting flowers. What he 
wants is fine flowers. Quality is more to him 
than quantity. 

In the third degree is included many little 
items of attention which I need not mention 
here, but which the careful, conscientious culti- 
vator will come to fully understand, as his ex- 
J)erience enlarges, if he studies his plants close- 
y. There are many things about the success- 
ful culture of plants of all kinds that can much 
better be learned by expf>rionce and observa- 
tion than by the study of books. Little items, 
which seem "trivial and" unimportant when read 
about, but which are the opposite. The most 
successful growers of flowers are those who give 
attention to the minutioe of the occupation. They 
have a knowledge that is not " put down in the 
books "—a knowledge that must be acquired by 
personal expeiience. 

But all this may be considered a digression. 
What I set out to say is this : 

For the lover of flowers who has not a great 
deal of time to devote to the cultivation of 
plants, herbaceous and perennial plants— those 
more commonly called "border plants— are 
the kinds to be selected, because of the ease 
with which they are cared for, and the generous 
returns they inake for the labor expended on 
them. 

It requires less care to ke&p a comparatively 
large collection of them free from weeds than it 
takes to clear even a small bed of annuals of 
weeds. The hoe can be used among them, but 
it cannot among annuals, during the early etagos 
of their growth, and work with the hoe will be 
found far pleasauter and easier than hand-weed- 
ing is. I would not be understood as advising 
the neglect of annuals, but as advising the cul- 
tivation of border plants, in preference, by those 
whose time is limited. I do advise growing more 
hardy border plants, and fewer annuals, how- 
ever. I would have the best of each. 

Plants of this class, as a general thing, like a 



deep, rich, mellow soil, in which their roots can 
sprend out, and reach down easily. As many 
varieties do not bloum during the early part of 
the eenson, I would give them a place somewhat 
in the background. It is a good plan to have a 
row of them along the fence separating lots. If 
those owning land I'U both sides of the fence put 
their plants there,, the fence will be hidden by 
them, and the eflV'cl is very pleasing. Some 
kinds can be planted among shrubbery very ef- 
fectively. But do not i^lant any in beds immedi- 
ately iij front of the house, or very close to it. 
Reserve such places for annuals and bedding- 
plants from which you will be likely to get flow- 
ers during the greater part of the season. 

One of our very best perennial plants is the* 
Phlox. It has long been used tor producing a 
strong show of color, its great cluster of thiculy 
mass'id flowers making it especially valuable 
for this purpose. But lately, vari' ties bavo 
been producd which are wonderfully beautiful 
when the individual flower is taken into consid- 
eration. Some of the new varieties have flowers 
as large as those of thf best types of the Gera- 
nium, «ith hundreds of them in a single trues. 
These trusses are often a foot and a half in 
length and a foot across. When the great size 
of the truss is taken into account, the number of 
them on each plant, and the length of time the 
plant is in bloom, the good qualities of this 
plant will be more fully realized by those who 
have seen it but have not grown it. 

I consider it the best hardy summer-flowering 
plant we have for general culture. Its care is 
of the simplest. It likes a rich soil. It likes to 
have the grass and weeds kept from clioldng it 
and robbing it of nutriment. Beyoid this it 
makes no demands. Year by year "its roots in- 
crease in strength and the clump grows larger 
and larger until you have a plant three or four 
feet across, which seems, at a little distance, to 
be one solid mass of flowers of all shades of 
crimson, violet, rose, red, and purple, to pure 
white. It is so entirely hardv that I have never 
heard of its being winter- killed under any cir- 
cumstances. It can be grown from se"d, but 
the best method of propagating it is by division 
of the roots. A large percentage of "seedlinga 
will give flowers quite tialike those of the parent 
plants, but plants obtained by division of the 
roots will give precisely the same flowers aa 
those borne on the old plants. If you want the 
choicest sorts you can only be sure of getting 
them in this way. 

The following kinds are among the best vari- 
eties of this flower : 

Lothair, salmon rose, very soft, bright, and 
beautiful. 

Washington, white, with rosy-purple center. 

Cross of Honor, light rose, striped down each 
l^etal with white. Very fine. 

Sir E. Landseer, very rich, dark crimson. 

Miss Robertson, pure white. 

A tine efifect is secured by planting in clumos. 
If the bright-colored varieties are given a place 



HERBACEOUS PLANTS. 



11 




in the center, with white varieties about the out- 
side of the group, contrast is secured which 
heightens the general effect. 

Next to the Phlox, I would place the Holly- 
hock. I would give it first place on the list 
were it as hardy and robust as the Phlox, but it 
is not, therefore it is not as well adapted to gen- 
eral cultivation. It generally does well for one 
season. The second season the plants soem 
weak, and the third they are worthless. This 
applies to the new and double varieties, which 
seem to have gained their beauty at the expense 
of their vitality. The old, single sorts were 
very robust, and gave good crops of flowers 
year after year. The newer varieties are won- 
derful improvements on the old. Their flowers 
are as double as Koses, ranging through all 
shades of red, scarlet, purple, crimson, rose, 
yellow and maroon, that is so deep and intense 
in tone aa to seem black, to pure white. Noth- 
ing is more effective for bold and prominent 
locations than large groups of the Hollyhock, 



I consider it a mistake to give this plant a very 
rich soil. Such a soil may give you larger and 
finer flowers than a moderately fertile one ; but 
it is my experience that those grown in a soil 
highly manured do not contioue in flower for so 
long a time, and their blossoms do not last as 
long, as those not so highly stimulated. In 
other words, that plants not forced to a rapid 
development have more strength and " staying" 
qualities than those under high cultivation. 

I would advise sowing seed each year, so that 
a supply of strong, young plants can be always 
on hand. Seed should be sown in June or July. 
The young plants should be given a covering of 
leaves in fall. The next spring plant them where 
they are to bloom. 

The Aquilegias, of which there are several 
varieties, are among our best border plants. I 

E refer the pare, pale yellows, the rich, delicate 
luos, and the white varieties. By all means 
have a bed, or several clumps of tliem. There 
are double and single kinds, both very deeirable. 



12 



THE PRACTICAL GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 




Coroopsia lanceolata is one of the new 
plants sure to win its way to popular 
favor. It is very hardy. It sends up many 
sleufler stalks, crowned with blos- 
soms of the richest yellow. It is not a 
large grower, therefore should be given 
a place in the front row. For cutting, it 
is quite as desirable as the annual vari- 
eties, which it closely resembles in form. 
It lacks the rich browu markings of the 
annual kind, and does not bloom as 
freely, but it continues to blossom until 
froat comes. 

The Dicentra. with its beautiful fern- 
like foliage, and long, gi-acefully arching 
sprays of drooping pink and white flow- 
ers, dpserves a place in every collection. 
This flower is popularly known as 
" Bleeding Heart," because of its pecu- 
liar shape. 

The pink and white herbaceous Spireas 
are extren)ely beautiful, ani no garden 
is complete without them. Their panicles 
of bloom have such an airy, graceful 
efiect, lilted, as they are, on long, slen- 
der stalks, well abiive the foliage, that 
they seem dainty piumos waving in the 
wind. For back rows m the border they 
are amonjj our best plants. They truns- 
plant easily and safely, grow rapidly, 
reciuire but little atteutiOD, bloom freely, 



A(tUIIi£OIA. 



HERBACEOUS PLANTS. 



13 



and are hardy everywhere. For cutting, for 
use in tall vases, we have no liner flowers in 
the entire section of herbaceous plants. 

Every garden should have its clumps of Peo- 
nies. Fiue plants of this favorite old flower are 
magnificent when in full bloom. Clumps are 



often seen four and five feet across, bearing 
hundreds of flowers. This is one of the plants 
that increase in beauty with age. Give them 
a rather heavy clay soil, and disturb the roots as 
little as possible. Each fall spread a liberal 
amount of well-rotted cow-manure about the 




14 



THE PRACTICAL GUIDE TO FLORICULTUBE. 



plantf, and in spring dig it into the soil about 
them 

The perennial Larkspur is wonderfully effec- 
tive when grown in large clumps or masses. It 
is of vigorous habit, and tall and stately in char- 
acter. The intense depth of color which char- 
acterizes the blue vaneties makes it one of our 
most decorative plants. This is a back - row 



The " coming " flower in the hardy class is the 
Iris, in the new Persian and German varieties. 
Such a wonderful range of colors, rich and deli- 
cate, one can find nowhere else. The blues and 
yellows, the purples and maroons, the mauves 
and silvery grays, ai-e simply exqnisite. Tbey 
have all the richness and variety of color which 
renders the Orchid so popular. Their magnifi- 




plant, where it can be made to do excellent ser- 
vice as a foil and contrast to pale, sulphur - 
yellow Hollyhocks. 

Achilleas are not grown as extensively as they 
deeerve to be. They have delicate ana beauti- 
ful foliage, and charming white and pink flowore. 

for cuHiog, thoy are very valuable, 



cent colors, and the harmonicas and etriliing 
combinations of them in the same flower, the 
froedcmi with which they are produced through 
a long seat>on, and their ease of cultivation, 
make them favorites everywhere. They do best 
in a moist soil, but will grow very well anywhere. 
The Myosotis, or Forget-my-DOt, is a charm- 



nEJlBAOEOTTS PLANTS. 



16 




ing little plant for the front row. It likes a 
moiet, shady place. Its flowora are star-shaped, 
of a delicate blue with yellow eye. It blooms 
during the greater part of the season. Excel- 
lent for cutting, to use in small bouquets. 

The Sweet William of to-day is a great im- 
provement on the Sweet William of twenty-five 
years ago. The newer sorts are magnificent in 
intensely rich shades of crimson, scarlet, and 
maroon, beautifully marked with pure white. A 
low grower. 

Digitalis, or Foxglove, is a tall-growing plant, 
with long spikes of drooping flowers. Suitable 
for back rows. 

The Canterbury Bell, or Campanula, blue and 
white, is a good border plant. The single varie- 
ties are bent. 

No garden should be without its Pinks. The 
Chinese varieties bloom the first year. The old- 
fashioned " Grass Pinks" are as sweet and rich 
in color as the greenhouse Carnation, and are 
favorites for cutting. There are several classes 
in the Pmk family, all deserving attention by 
the cultivator of lovely flowers, 

Platycodon is a newcomf-r, but it has already 
won friends. It has bell - shaped flowers of 
blue anfl white, produced throughout the greater 
part of the season. 

Helianthus muUiflonis is a great acquisition to 
our list of hardy plants for the central States 
and the South. North of Ohio it often fails to 
survive the winter, if left in the ground. It is a 
member of the Sunflower family. Its flowers, 
which are produced in gi-eat profusion during 
the latter part of the snason, are very double, 
and of a dark, rich yellow — a color greatly 
needed to give tone and brightness to the garden 
where few yellow flowers are seen. This flower 
is excellent for cutting. 



16 



THE PRACTICAL GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 



The old Rocket still hrilds its own, and it ie, 
indeed, one of our best plants for massing. 
The two varieties most grown are purple and 
white. This is most effective when grown in 
clumps. 

Tl)e Oriental Poppy is extremely showy. The 
flowers are of great size, borne on long stalks, 
and of the most intense scarlet, with a black 
blotch at the base of each petal. This flower 
produces a most striking effect when planted in 
masses, where its vivid color can have a dark 
background to display itself against. 

For eflging beds of hardy plants, the Daisy is 
the best plant we have. It must be borne in 
mind that the Daisy spoken of (Bellis of many 
catalogues) is not the Daisy of the meadow. It 
is a very low-growing plant, bearing flowers of 
pink and white about the size of a silyer 



quarter, very double, and altogether charm- 
ing. 

1 have named above only the best and most 
popular plants of the herbaceous or perennial 
class. There are many other kinds well deserv- 
ing a place in any garden, but lack of space 
makes it impossible to speak of them all. Look 
over your catalogues, if you desire to acid to your 
collection. You will find all that are worth grow- 
ing described there. 

The proper time to transplant border plants is 
in spring. If this is done then, tbe plants be- 
come well established during the season, and 
go into winter quarters in a strong, hf^althy con- 
dition. If it is not done until tall, they do not 
have suflicient time to fully establish themselves 
before cold weather conies, and thRv are gen- 
erally injured by the long, severe winter. 



SHRUBS. 



17 



Shrubs. 



Every garden or yard should have at least a 
few shrubs. There "is a dignity and i<iea cf per- 
manence about them that other plants do not 
possess. They give a charm to the home that is 
only second to that afforded by a good tree, and 
because they can be grown in so short a timp, 
they recommend themselves to many persons 
who do not feel willing to wait for a tree to de- 
velop. But I would not advise any one who 
plants shrubs to neglect to plant trees. Plant 
both, and enjoy the shrub while the tree is 
growing. 

In planting shrubs, it is necessary to give con- 
siderable attention to the soil. You cannot grow 
good shrubs in a poor soil. You ought not to 
exp<''ct to do so, but many persons seem to think 
a shrub ought to grow if given a place in the 
ground, and they wonder why it is that their 
shrubs do so poorly, while those of their neigh- 
bors flourish. I think a great many persons get 
the idea, that a shrub will do well under all con- 
ditions from seeing bushes growing rankly in 
pastures and the roadside. They forget that the 
native shrub has a robustness and hardiness 
which shrubs from foreign countries do not have. 
They also overlook the fact that even our native 
shrubs improve so greatly under cultivation that 
they Bi'em quite different in all ways from the 
plaot which grows in fence-corner or highway. 
It pays to give anythmg in the garden the best 
of care, and most things that are grown thi^re 
will no* prove satisfactory without such care. 
Let the amateur gardener remember this, and, 
unless he is willing to do what ouRht to be done, 
let him stop before he begins, and give over to 
others who are willinK, the work be would bo 
pretty sure to make a failure of. 

"The soil best adapted to all classes of plant- 
life," says John Berry, "is one of a rich, ft-iable 
nature, such as we make after a few years' culti- 
vation of an old pasture. All soils' should be 
provided with proper drainage. Heavy, clayey 
soils are improved vastly by taking the extra 
amount of water out of them, and such soils 
should have added to them coarse sand or fine 
gravel, and old garden soil, leaf-mold, or thor- 
oughly rotted manure in liberal quantities, with 
a free application of muscle to mix and incorpo- 
rate thoroughly the various elements which go 
to the making of such a soil as every yard should 
have, in which shrubs are to be set from which 
tho highest and best results are expected." 

Planting is generally done in a slipshod fash- 
ion. A hole is dug large enough to contain the 
roots of the plant, they are dropped into it, the 
earth is crowded in about them and stamped 
down, and the operation is over. 

This is all wrong. 

The first thing to do, after making the soil rich 
and mellow, is to dig a hole large enough to con- 
tain all the roots of the little shrub when they 
^re spread out in a natural manner. Never 
crowd them together. Never force them to take 
on unnatural shapes. Aim to imitate the condi- 
tions from which they wore taken. Have some 



very fine and mellow soil to work in between the 
roots, and have, also, a pail of water to pour over 
this soil and settle it firmly before the top soil 
is put on. Make an effort to save all the young 
and fibrous roots possible, for these are general- 
ly feeders whose work is of the greatest import- 
ance, and they should be injured as little as 
possible. 

Set the plant a little lower than it previously 
grew, and be very sure to have the soil firm 
about it, so that the wind cannot move it back 
and forth and loosen it. It is a good plan to 
tramp the top soil down very solidly. It is nec- 
essary that tho roots should remain firm in the 
soil until they have a chance to take hold of it. 

The best time to plant shrubs is in spring, for 
then they are making growth, and in the best 
possible condition to take hold of the soil in 
their new quarters. In fall the plants are in a 
dormant conrlition, and must remain so until 
spring, and the exposure to the winter in a weak- 
ened condition such as must come to any trans- 
planted shrub which baa had no time to estab- 
lish itself, often results in death the following 
season. 

Never allow the roots of a shrub to be exposed 
to the pffect of wind and sun. If they have to 
be moved any distance, cover your shrubs with 
a thick blanket, which should be kept moist. 
This is v(!ry important. More shrubs are lost 
by exposure of this kind than from any other 
cause. The young and tender roots are very 
susceptible to" injury from exposure. 

Before setting out shrubs, one should study 
up about them. He should understand their 
habit. He ought to know how large thpy grow 
to be, in order not to make the very common 
mistake of planting them so closely together 
that, after a few years, th^y crowd each other. 
Every shrub that grows "to any size, unless 
grouped, should have sufficient "space about it 
to admit of its development in such a manner as 
to display its individuality. It must be given 
plenty of elbow-room. Crowd a half dozen shrubs 
togf^ther in the space that one or two would fill, 
if left to sproad naturally, and you spoil all of 
them. Because shrubs are small when planted, 
one gets an idea that a good many are required, 
but a careful study of shrubs of a similar sort in 
old gardens will cause one to look ahead and 
plant for the Ifuturo. Do not expect to make 
much show with newly planted shrubs. You 
must give them time to develop before that can 
be expected of them. 

Before closing these remarks it may be well 
to say, in this connection, a few words about 
pruning. Before applying the knife, study the 
habit of each kind, and prune in such a manner 
as to assist it to develop its natural and indi- 
vidual beauty, rather than to interfere with this, 
as you very surely will do if you prune without a 
knowledge of its habit of gro"wth. No two shrubs 
are alike in their peculiarities, and these pecu- 
liarities should always be considered and re- 
tained, as far as possible, by judicious pruning. 



18 



THE PRACTICAL CrTTIBE TO FLOItlCULTURK 



The best timo to prune is after thf^ flnworing 
Beaaon. This is dono by shortening iu the 
branches and cutting out the old and worthless 
wood, and all wood that does not seem neces- 
sary to tbo symmetry of the plant. 

In pruning, aim to preserve a symmetrical 
form, without making it stiff and formal. If 
branches are shortened occasionally, to cause a 
thickening up of the plant, and the old wood is 
removed, the plant can be safely left to train it- 
self, as a general thmg. Sometimes it will seem 
inclined to be erratic, but not often. In case it 
does, cut back the straggling limbs, and oblige 
it to give up its vagaries. 

While the following list of shrubs is not very 



double, pink and white, and cluster along the 
slender stalks, giving them the appearance of 
wreaths of delicate flowers. 

Berberis, or Berberry. 

This is a very hardy shrub. The flowers ar« 
not 80 ornamental as the fruit, which is a dark 
red, borne very profusely, and remains on the 
bushes during winter if feft alone by the birds. 
The purple-leaved variety is charming whea 
used in connection with lighter colors. 

Cornus, or Dogwood. 
A native shrub, bearing white flowera. 




HYDBANGEA. 



extensive, it will be found to contain the very 
best varieties for general culture. And it is well 
for the amateur to confine himself to the old and 
tested sorts until he acquires oxjit^rionco enough 
to enable him to undertake the care and culture 
of kinds requiring more careful treatment. New 
varieties can be added from time to time, as old 
ones fail or prove worthless, as somotuiies they 
will because of not being exactly adapted to the 
conditions under which they are grown. 

Almond. 

These shrnbs are old favorites, generally ppr- 
fectly hardy, but coming through the winter in 
better condition if laid down on the ground and 
covered with leaves or litter. Thpy bloom very 
early in the season. The flowers are small, 



Cydonia. 

Better known as Japan Quince. A small shrub, 
of compact habit, bearing intensely rich scarlet 
flowers very early in the season. Its foliage is 
shining, and very ornamental. Excellent for 
low hedges. 

Deutzia. 

A variety of shmbs from Japan, which for 
hardihood ."graceful habit, and freedom of flow- 
ering are unsurpassed. Tbeir flowera are small, 
hut borne in such clusters as to make thom very 
conspicuous. Cronata flore plena is a double va- 
riety, white and rose. Orenata alba is a single 
white kmd. Pride of Rochester is a new Variety, 
something after the habit of Crenata. but with 
larger flowers, and a week or two earlier. 



SHRUBS. 



19 



Porsythia. 

Thia is a very graceful shrub from Japan. Its 
flowers are boll-shaped and droopiDg, aud ap- 
pear very early in spring before the foliage is 
fully developed. 

Liilac. 

An old favorite, and really one of the best 
shrubs we have, as it is entirely hardy and beau- 
tiful, and delightfully sweet. There are several 
varieties. The Persian is perhaps the best of 
all for yards of ordinary size. The older sorts 
become small trees, if trained in that form. I 
like it best, however, as a shrub. Thia plant 
suckers very freely, and the sprouts must be cut 



Weigelia. 

This family of shrubs ie not entirely hardy at 
the extreme north, but through the middle sec- 
tion they are perfectly reliable. Their flowera 
are rose and white, and very pretty. 

Syringa. 

No collection is complete without this shrub. 
It is a free bloomer, very fragrant, and a vigor- 
ous grower. Flowers white. 

Prunus. 

The variety called Pissardii is quite hardy. 
It has foliage which is almost crimson ia spring, 
changing to a deep purple in fall. Planted where* 




MOSS BOSE. 



off close to the ground frequently, or they soon 
form a thicket. 

Daphne Cneoroum. 

A charmiug, low shrub, with evergreen foliago 
and clusters of pink, fragrant flowers at the tips 
of the branches. Seldom seen, but one of the 
best hardy, small shrubs we have. 

Hydrangea. 

The variety sent out under the name of Pan- 
iculata grandiflora is very hardy, a great bloom- 
pf, and does not come into flower until late in 
tue peason. Single specimens are pleasing, but 
in order to get the beet eflfoct, several plants 
ebould be grouped t.'gether. 



its rich color can be shown off against an ever- 
green, it is extremely effective. 

Spirea. 

These shrubs are hardy, bloom freely, and are 
satisfactory. Flowers wliite and rose. 

I shall not continue thia list of miscellaneous 
shrubs, as the catalogue will tell those who 
wish to know more about them all they care to 
learn. 

Roses. 

Of course every lovf^r of flowers wauts a col- 
leciioij of Boees. No garden would be a garden 



20 



THE PRACTICAL GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 



io the host aeane of the term if there were no 
Boses in it. 

At the north, May is the best month in which 
to plant the Rose. I prefer dormant plants to 
those which have been grown indoors during 
the wintor. I also prefer plants growinp; on their 
own roota. Many dealers graft their Hoses, but 
quite frequently these grafts die off and shoots 



fection, both as regards size and color, if tbia 
essential requisite is given them. To secure the 
greatest degree of success the entire bed should 
be dug over to the depth of two feet at least, and 
a liberal supply of well -rotted cow -manure 
thoroughly mixed with the soil. Old chip ma- 
nure is excellent. In caeo neither of these fer- 
tilizers is obtainable, bone-meal can be used. 




are sent up from the roots on which the grafts 
were placed, and these fail to bloom. With 
Robfis on their own routs, nothing of this kind can 
take place, as any shoots that may bo sent up 
will be exactly like the original plant. 

In preparing bo'ls for their reception it is well 
to remember that Roses do not like a very moist 
soil. If the location is a wot one, it must be 
well draiu'-d before putting out your plants if 
you want to grow them well. 

RosoB luxuriate iu a rich, deep soil, and pro- 
duce flowers in the gre«toat profusion and per- 



All the work should be done as early in the 
spring as possible, so that the soil may become 
settled before planting-time. 

In planting, it is important to firm the soil 
about the roots well. 

In choosing a location for the Rose-bed, select 
one fully exposed to a free circulation of air, and 
not very shady. Keep the ground clean and 
mellow from spring till the close of the season. 

A rather heavy sil, in which there is some 
clay, will be found more to the wants of this 
plant than a lighter, more open aoil. 



SHR UBS. 



21 



The insects which intest the Rose may be 
kept down by using tbe kerosene emulsion 
spoken of ia another place. Hellebore, either 
in tho powder or as an infusion, is often efifect- 
ive, if used early in the season. 

The hardy June Roses will not require much 
covering in winter, but they are better for hav- 
ing some protection. If it ia not given them, 
quite frequently the ends of the branches will 



nure, which shouW be forked into the soil about 
tbe roota of the plants. 

Hybrid perpetual and moss Roses bloom best 
00 strong, new wood, therefore they require 
cutting back pretty sharply before growth be- 
gins. 

Climbing Roses should have all the weak 
wood removed, and as much more as is neces- 
sary to keep the plants within proper limits. 




^V^'^t.^VVW.Wv 



MRS. CHAS. WOOD. 



be killed. I would advise laying all varieties of 
Roses dowu on the ground, aod covering with a 
few inches of leaves or litter. Sods can bo 
placed on the branches to hoid them in plac»^, 
and pieces of boards or evergreen brmches can 
be placed over tho leaves to keep them from 
blowing away. 

One of the principal causes of failure with 
Roses is uncovering thotn too early in spring. It 
is seldom advisable to remove the covermg 
before tho first of April, and then only a portion 
of it should be taken off at first, leaving the re- 
mainder about two weeks longer. It will be 
bbtter, in many cases, to leave it on for a still 
longer period, ah'^uld the aeasou be backward. 
The plants should then be pruned, and tLe 
beds receive a good dreseiog of well-rotted ma- 



Some of tho best hardy varieties are : 

George the Fourth, rich crimson, in clusters. 
Full aud sweet. 

Persian Yellow, very rich in color, profuse, and 
extremely hardy. The best yellow. 

Provence, or Maiden's Blush, an old favorite 
of exquisite sweetness. Identical with the old 
Damask. 

Blanche Mcreau, a moss, pure white, of large 
size and very fine form. . 

Henry Martin, moss, pink, tinged with crim- 
son, exquisitely mossed. 

Lnxembourg, moss, bright, rosy crimson, 
finely mossed. 

The two best climbing Roses are : 

Baltimore Belle, blueh white, double, borne iu 
very large clusters. 



22 



THE FBACTICAL OUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 



Prairie Queen, bright rosy red, clusters, and 
wonderfully tree. 

The most beautiful class of Roses is the hybrid 
perpetual. The term perpetual is eomethingof a 
misnomer, as it gives these not familiar with this 
section the idea that it is an evor-blooming one. 
Such is not the case, however. The perp^tu- 
als bloom most freely in early summer. Some 
of them bloom somewhat freely at inter- 
vals thereafter, if given proper treatment, but 



Mabel Morrison, pure white Boautiftil. 

Marie Bauman, carmine. Superb. 

Prince Camille de Rohan, crimeon-maroon, 
Large and very fine. 

General Washington, soft rosy-scarlet. 

Jules Margottin, cherry red. Fine. 

Paul Neyron, very large, and of fine form. 
Satiny rose. 

Magna Charta, carmine. 
. Maurice Benardin, bright crimson. 




BARONESS BOTHSCHILD. 



most kinds produce but few flowers after the 
first blooming period, but tbeso few will be prized 
more highly than those of early summer because 
of their perfection at a season when Roses are 
rarities. 

To succeed with this class, a very rich soil 
must be given them, and they must be cut back 
after each period of flowering. Rich soil and 
pruning stimulates the production of new 
branches, and new wood is essential if you 
would have flowers. 

Below I give a list of the best of this class : 

Annie dos Diesbach, bright rose color. 

BaroneKS Rothschih), piuli, with satiny texture. 
Very beautiful in form. 

General Jacqueminot, a great favorite, and 
onf* of the best. Velvety crimson. 

Madame Alfred Carriere, fleeh color, tinged 
with salmon, 



Alfred Colomb, crimson tinged with carmine. 

Mrs. John Laing, bright rose, very sweet, and 
free flowering. One of the best. 

Captain Christy, pink, with a silvery luster. 

American Beauty, bright rose. Very large and 
fragrant. 

Mrs. Charles Wood, rosy crimson. One of the 
freest flowering kinds. 

Her Majosty, large, of a delicate pink. 

John Hopper, rose, shaded with carmine. 
One of tbe best. 

Coquette des Blanches, white, tinged with 
flesh. 

Perfection dt^s Blanches, milk white, in clus- 
ters. Very free flowering. 

I Madame Alfred Ituqucmont, white, tinted 
with pale rose. 

I Ulrich Brummer, cresire-red. Superb, 
I Giant dee Battajlos, brilliant crimeoa, 



/f^HRITBS. 



23 



Marshall P. Wilder, cherry carmine. not one in twenty of the rpally d<^sirablo vari- 

Vietor Verdier, cherry rose. , eties in general cultivatioD aniong experienced 

White Baroneas, pure white with shell-shaped gardeners. But it should be borne in mind 

petals. that experienced gardeners can do with Roses 

Baron do Bonstetlin, rich dark red, shading what the amateur cannot; therefore I would 

to a velvety maroon. Very sweet. I advise the beginner to confine his selection to 




PEINCE CAMILLE DE ROHAN. 



Fisher Holmes, crimson scarlet. 

Eugene Furst, velvety crimson, shading to 
maroon. One of the best. 

Louis Van Houtte, bright crimson, shading 
to dark scarlet. 

This list is a brief one, including, as it does. 



the list given, because the varieties there named 
are such as do best under ordinary care. 

In another chapter I have spoken of the 
treatment required by the ever-blooming-clasa. 
I do not include them here because they are 
too tender to remain out of doors safely during 
our severe winters. 



24 



THE PliACTTCAL GUIBE TO FLORICULTURE. 



The Culture of Outdoor Bulbs. 



0>rLY those who havo grown bulbs in the gar- 
den know how to appreciate them fully. Com- 
ing into flower with the going of the snow, and 
continniDg through the remaindpr of the spring 
months, as tbey will if one is cai'eful to plant a 
sufficient variety, they help to extend the yearly 
season of flowers wonderfully. Were it not for 
tliem, we would be obliged to wait un'^1 June for 
flowers, except those of a few early herbaceous 
kinds, and all of us know what a long and dreary 
time of waiting it is between the last March 
enowbtorm and the warmth and beauty of a real 
June day. But with a bed of bulbs we may have 
a Hhf'W of bloom ^vhose beauty is quite equal to 
that of any of the fall months'through the entire 
month of April, and May becomes almost a sum- 
mer month, so far as color and brightness in the 
garden is concerned. 

Grow one bulb successfully, and after that you 
will not willingly be withouta bed of them, and 
in all probability one bed will not satisfy you. 
That one first bulb will give you a hint of the 
wealth of beauty and pleasure in store for you 
if you plant Snowdrop and Crocus, Tulip and 
Hvacinth, and the charming Narcissus or 
"bafiv-down-dilly" of the poets, who have 
loved this flower from time immemorial, and 
who have sung its praises in such lavish fashion 
that, were it possible to make a flower conceited, 
it would be a verv vain, conceited flower indeed. 
There is something about this flower that wins 
the heart of the flower-lover at first sight. It is 
among the bulbs what the Rose is among the 
class to which that favorite belongs, and not 
even the queenly Lily outrivals it in its hold 
upon the heart of the lover of all that is beauti- 
ful and sweet among flowers. 

In order to grow bulbs well they must planted 
in fall, and as early in the season as possible. 

Bulbs make their annual growth in spring. 
They ripen during the early part of summer. 
After that they are prepared for market by the 
dealer. The sooner they are put into the ground 
after they come into the market the better for 
them. 

September is as early as the bulbs can be ob- 
tained from the dealers, under the most favora- 
lole circumstances, and, as a general thing, about 
all you will be likely to get from them during 
this'montb is the catalogue, which is sure to be- 
wilder and fascinate you with its engravings and 
its charming descriptions of the beauty you can 
buy for a small amount ol money.. Ord"rs are 
not filled to any great extent until October. 

But all necessary work in the bulb-beds should 
be done in Septeml)er, so that the bulbs can be 
put into the ground as soon as received. 

The firi>t thing to consider is location. 

If possible, select a place eloping to the south, 
and let it be naturally well-drained. You can- 
not expect to have fine flowers from any bulb 
if the drainage of the soil in which it is planted 
is not good. If water.'" from heavy spring rains 
and melting snows stand about their roots the 
bulbs will be sure to become diseased, and that 



is the end of all chances for good flowers. Bulbs 
insist on having a soil to grow in in which water 
is not retained for any length of time in sfring. 

If you cannot give them such a place, do not 
try to gi'ow them. 

Even if you consider the location of your bulb- 
bed a fairly well-drained one, it will do no harm 
to treat it as if you were not quite sure about it. 
It is better to be positive about it than doubtful. 

Let us suppose that you are beginning work 
on a bed or bulb. The first thmg to do is to 
take a spade and turn up the soil to the depth of 
at least a font. It will do no harm it you go 
deeper than that, but on no account fail to work 
the ground to a depth less than a foot if you 
want good plants. Throw the soil out of the 
bed, and let it lie where the sun can get at it. 
It will come out in chunks, but after the sun 
has shone upon it for a day or two, you will find 
it ready to crumble beneath the hoe or rake. 

Before returning the soil to the bed, collect 
all the old rubbish in the shape of tin cane, 
broken dishes, boots and shoes, and the like, 
that can be found about the premises, and dump 
these into the bottom of the excavation. Let 
there be at least six inches in depth of it. By 
doing this you will be killing two birds with one 
stone — you will be providing material to assist 
in the "perfect drainage of your bod, and you 
will be getting rid of refuse that is unsightly. 

Having provided for drainage, till the bed 
with soil. Mix with it a liberal quantity of thor- 
oughly rotted cow-manure, if possible to obtain 
it. VVork it into the soil as evenly as possible. 
You need not be afraid of making the soil too 
fine or too mellow. Indeed, cne of the secrets 
of success in bulb-culture consists in having a 
rich, deep, mellow soil for them. 

Use no fresh manure. Unless you can get 
that which is at least a year old it is better to go 
without. 

If the soil is a somewhat heavy one, lighten 
it by mixing in sand, old mortar, or coal ashes, 
if you have nothing better at hand. A light, 
open, porous soil that never becomes hard in 
the dryest weather is the beet one you can have 
for buibs. 

You will find that your bed is considerably 
higher than th(^ ground about it when you at- 
tempt to put back the soil thrown out of it, espe- 
cially if you have provided liberally for drain- 
age. This is as it should be. Have the center 
at least eight inches higher than at the edges, 
and if it is a font it is just as well, for when the 
loose soil comes to settle, as it will after a little, 
there will be none too much elevation. Not 
only does such a bed display the flowers on it 
more eflectively than a nat one, but it prevents 
water from rain or snow from standing on it. 

The size of your bed will of course bo deter- 
mined by the quantity of bulbs you intend to 
plant. If you look over the instructions in your 
catalogue ciirefully, you will tind rules to guid« 
you in planting the bulbs described in it, and I 
need not take space here to give them. It will 



THE CULTURE OF OUTDOOR BULBS. 



tell you how far apart to plant tho ■various kinds, 
and a little calculation will enable you to tell 
how large a bed you must prepare for the num- 
ber you order. 

Never make the mistake of planting any bulb 
singly if you want a strong eflfect. Always 
group them. 

I would advise planting each kind by itself. 
A much more satisfactory efiect is secured by 
keeping Tulips, Hyacinths, and other varieties 
in beds by themselves. While they are all bulbs, 
they do not all harmonize, either m habit, color, 
or season of flowering. If you do. not have 
enough of any one kind to fill a bed, give up 
the bed system, and jslantthem in little clumps. 

The Hyacinth, which is a general favorite 
among bulbs because of the bright color of its 
blossoms, and its delightful fragrance, comes in 
advance of tho Tulip, and is preferred by many 
to that brilliant ana justly popular flower. If I 
were obliged to choose between the two, my 
choice would be the Hyacinth. 

There are single and double sorts. My pref- 
erence is for the single varieties, because the 
flowers standout more clearly and gracefully on 
the stalks, not being as crowded as the double 
ones are. I am inclined to think, from past ex- 
perience, that the sin file kinds are more to be 
depended on for a good crop of flowers than the 
double varipties. 

As to color, we have red, white, blue, and 
yellow, with many intermediate shades, so that 
all tastes in this direction can be suited. 

I would never advise planting a mixed collec- 
tion, if separate coior.s can be afforded. Where 
all colors are planted together, the effect is 
very much the same as where different kinds of 
bulbs are grown in the same bed. There is a 
lack of harmony, and a weak effect generally. 
Eods, blues, and yellows growing together pro- 
duce a brilliant mass of color, but the combina- 
tion is not pleasing to the critical eye. 

If you like a contrast of colors in the same 
bed, and can afford the expense of buying bulbs 
in collections whose colors are guaranteed by 
the florist, fine effects can be produced by 
planting in rows of distinct colors, either red 
and white, blue and white, or red and yellow. 
Designs of stars, diamonds, and the like can be 
worked out quite effectively by using the vari- 
ous colors in solid masses. 

If both double and single kinds are grown, I 
would give each kind a bed by itself. 

In planting Tulips, care should be taken to not 
mix the early and late varieties. If you do, you 
will have a straggling procession of flowers, 
instead of a massive and satisfactory displuy of 
each kind, during its proper season, as you may 
have if you i^lant intelligently. There are s'^v- 
cral classes of Tulips, and it is well to keep these 
by themselves. 

The range of colors in the Tulip family is 
wonderful in variety and brilliancy. There are 
scarlets and crimsons so vivid as to dazzle the 
eye ; brilliant yellows, and delicate, soft pinks, 
pure whites, deep purples, and glowing vermill- 
ions, and many varieties in which contrasting 
colors are blended in stripes, flakes, and blotches. 
The Parrot section is well named, as it includes 
all colors j^eculiar to the bird from which it takes 
its name, but it is not as beautiful as the other 
kinds, and it is not as reliable as they are. 

Among the most desirable varieties of single 



Tulip for the amateur, I would name the follow- 
ieg: 

Artus, deep scarlet. 

Ghrysolora, pure yellow. 

Joo9t von Vondel, rose, striped with white. 
A lovely flower. 

La Reine, white, tinted with rose. 

Wouverman, purple. 

Colour Ponceau, crimson and white. 

Duchess de Parma, crimson and orange. 

Proserpine, deep rose. 

Grani due de Russie, violet aad white. 

The Due von Thol varieties come in scarlet, 
crimson, yellow, rose, and white. They can be 
bought cheaply in collections in which the sev- 
eral colors are kept separate. Where one has a 
good sized bed to fill, and wants the colors by 
themselves, this is the best kind to order. 

If you want specially fine varieties, the list 
given above can be relied upon as including 
the best of their class. 

The doubles come in early and late varieties, 
and each class should be kept by itself in order 
to secure evenness of bloom. I name a few cf 
the most distinct varieties of the early doubles : 

Couronne d'Or, golden yellow. 

Duke of York, rose, edged with wh'ite. 

Marriage de me Fille, crimson striped and 
flaked wiih pure white. 

Rex Ruborum, bright scarlet. 

Salvator Rosa, pink and white. 

La Caudeur, pure white. 

If a bed is planted with Rex Ruborum and 
La Candeur, the result is very satisfactory, as 
they bloom at the same time, and the size and 
height of fliwor is the same. 

Below I name a few of the late doubles. Thfso 
will come into bloom after most other sorts have 
passt^d their prime : 

Orange Kroon, bright orange. 

PouprePordre Blanc, violet, edged with white. 

Rose du Printemps, white and rose. 

Rose Eclante, crimson. 

Admiral Kingsbergen, yellow, striped with 
red. 

There are two other classes of Tulips, a few of 
which should be included in all collections— 
Pybloems, with white ground marked with lilac, 
purple, or black, and Roses, with scarlet, pink, 
or red markings on a white ground. 

The Daffodils are mostly in white, cream, and 
bright yellow. Some show tints of red and 
.■scarlet. Some are single, some double, all 
beautiful. They are most effective when planted 
in clunips hero and thero, in the grass of the 
lawn, in the border, and among the shrubbery. 
You cannot have too many of them. They are 
excellent for cutting. 

The Crocus is a charming little thing wh.=n 
planted in masses or groups. It comes in white, 
purple, and yeUow, and some varieties are beau- 
tifully variegated. Be sure to have a bud of 
them. 

The Snowdrop is a dainty flower that oftea 
shows its smiling face before the snow is gone. 
There are three good varieties — the single 
whitf, the double whit«, and the Giant, a variety 
having large flowers of pure white with emerald 
throat. Plant these flowers here, there, any- 
where, evprywhf^re, and you will be delighted 
with them. 
Two good flowers to plant in connection with 



26 



THE PRACTICAL GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 



Crocus are Chiondoxa, blue, with white center, 
and Scilla Sibrica, blue. 

In November, when you think the ground is 
about to be frozen, cover your bulbs with coarse 
manure, leaves, or litter of some kind. Let tbis 
c.vering remain on in spring until you see the 
tips of some of the plants peering through. 
Then remove it very carefully, that none of the 
tender shoots may be injured. If cold nights 
come on, as they aro likely to all through 
March, and often well along in April, at the 
north, throw a blanket over the beds, first plac- 



ing stakes at the corners and in the center to 
prevent the covering from falling or resting 
on the plants with such weight as to break 
them. 

The bulbs will ripen in a few weeks after flow- 
ering. They can be taken up then and reset, if 
desirable, or they can be allowed to remain in 
the be-d year after year. 

If left in the bed, annuals can be grown among 
them without injuring them in the least, if care 
is taken to not disturb them with hoe or rake in 
preparing the soil for the others. 



FLOWERS FOR OUTTTNa. 



'11 



Flowers for Cutting. 



Until within the last few years flowers have 
not been planted to any great extent with a view 
to cutting from them. They were grown to or- 
nament tbe garden, and it mattered not at all 
whether they had long stems, or short stems, 
or no stem at all, so long as there was plenty of 
flowers and a good show of color. 

But this has changed, and to-day almost every 
woman who grows flowers considers their desir- 
ability for cutting, in selecting them. Flowers 
are rapidly growing in favor as a moans of pt- r- 
sonal adornment, and I am very glad of this, for 
nothing is more beautiful in connection with 
woman's apparel than a flower chosen in har- 
mony with the color and general effect of her 
dress. 

A flower is one of Nature's jewels. It is always 
appropriate where any kind of decoration is ad- 
missible, and always in the best of taste, pro- 
vided good taste is exercised in its selection. 
Not all flowers are suited to all persons. Some 
can wear those of heavy texture and vivid colors 
who could not wear delicate sorts. A graceful, 
willowy form seems in harmony with the colors 
and outlines of some of the rare Orchids, while 
on a woman of stout build and considerable 
adipose tissue such a flower would seem out of 
place. Suit the flower to the woman who is to 
wear it, and one can well do without "jewels of 
gold and precious stones." 

Id selecting flowers from which to cut for per- 
sonal decoration, one of the first things to con- 
sider is length of stf^m. Short-stemmed flowers 
may be very attractive in themselves, but they 
cannot be arranged attractively. Yoa cannot 
form them into a bunch for the throat or corsage 
without huddling them so closely together that 
all individuality is destroyed. You get a mass 
of fine color pr'rhaps, but nothing else, while 
what you want most is a flower standing out so 
prominently from the foliage which should 
always accompany it as a foil and contrast to 
its beauty that its individuality is distinct. Its 
form, and every outline, should be apparent to 
each observer.' One flower, so displayed, is 
always more effective than many so arranged 
that "they become a mere mass of color. One 
reason why Sweet Peas and Chrysanthemums 
are so popular is, that they have long stems 
which enable the individual flowers to display 
themselves to advantage. It is never ceeessary 
to crowd them, hence it is possible to preserve 
tbe delicate outline and natural grace of each 
blossom, no matter how many you use at a time. 
Individuality is not sacrificed. 

Have you never thought of flowers as persons ? 
In a small congregation of people you do not 
lose sight of the peculiarities of each one ; but 
in a large crowd you cease to notice the pecu- 
liarities which characterize the individual. It 
ia precisely the same with flowers. A few are 
better lor most purposes than many. This is 
always true where it is desirable to call att-^n- 
tion to beauty in its highest aspects, which is 



another term fir individuality. Always treat a 
flower as you would a person if you want it to 
appear to the best aflvantige. Think this over, 
and you will see the force and justice of the 
advice. 

The Eose is a favorite for personal adorn- 
mpnt, but most persons living in the country, 
away from greenhouses, are not able to enjoy 
Roses throughout the season, because the col- 
lection in tbeir garden does not include sorts, 
as a general thing, which bloom after July. 
Some may have a few hybrid perpetnals from 
which a few flowers can be gathered at intervals, 
but these cannot be depended on with the treat- 
ment which they usually receive at the bands 
of amateur gardeners. But tbere is no reason 
why Roses should not be enjoyed from June 
to tbe coming of cold weather by every woman 
who has, or can have, a garden. The teas. Noi- 
settes, and Bengal varieties are constant bloom- 
ers, when given proper treatment, and they 
ard excelled by none m beauty of form, color, 
and delicious fragrance. Nearly all are borne 
on long stems, and nothing can be more beau- 
tiful than a spray bearing a half-opened flower, 
a bud just showing the rich color of its folded 
petals, and a few of its own leaves. From a 
dozen plants, costinga very small sum of money, 
it is easy to have flowers for personal adorn- 
ment every day throughout; the season, and 
some to give to friends. I know this to be true, 
because every year I have my bed of ever- 
blooming Roses, from which h'andfuls are cut 
daily, and what is true of a large bed is true 
in degree of a smaller one. It is surprising to 
see what a number of flowers can bo cut from 
one plant in a season, if the right kind of treat- 
ment is given. " I couldn't use half the Roses 
that grow on my eight plants," said a lady to 
me last year. " I was envied by all my lady 
friends who had no Roses to wear after the 
summer-blooming varieties were gone." One 
lady said to mo that she thought I must be get- 
ting extravagant, as Roses cost so much, and I 
was wearing them every day. " But mine cost 
mo next to nothing," I told her. '• I did not buy 
them— I grew them in my own garden." She 
could hardly believe me until I showed her my 
little bed of ever- bloomers. She had got into the 
habit of thinking, as many other women have, 
that Roses after July are to be had only of the 
florists, who ask such a price for them that peo- 
ple in ordinary circumstances cannot aff'ord to 
buy them. If women knew how easy it is to 
grow these Roses, every one would nave some 
of them. 

That's it— if they only knew ! But they don't. 

Year after year I have written about their 
merits as bedders, and I am glad to see that 
many are growing them who had given them 
over to wealthy people as something not meant 
" for poor folks." All that remains to be done 
to make tbe ever-blooming Rose as popular 
among the masses tor summer culture in the 



28 



TEE PBACTIfAL QUTBE TO FLORICULTURE. 



garden aa the Gnraninm is for the window-gar- 
den in winter, is to make them understand that 
it costs eo little that every one can afford it, 
and that its culturB is extremely simple, when 
once understood, and any one who really loves 
a flower can understand it perfectly after a lit- 
tle study and observation. 



should be well fed. Give them all they ran ^^at, 
and let the food given be such as snitH them 
best. Nothing in the shape of a fertilizer pro- 
duces better results among Rosea than old, rot- 
ten cow- manure. It should- be old and rotten 
enough to be friable. It should crumble easd^. 
JVlix in plenty of this with a rather stiflf soil in 




EOSE— MAD. HOSTE. 



The ever-blooming Roses depend on constant 
development of new branches for flowers. With- 
out a steady growth of su-'h branches there will 
be no flowers, as all blofsoms are borne on new 
wood. In ordf-r to keep up the production of 
new wood, it is necessary to cut back the old 
branches from time to time. As soon as all 
buds on a branch have developed into flowers, 
cut that branch back to Pome etronfj branch- 
bud. A little observation will enable you to 
tell what bud to expect best results from. So 
much for pruning. The condition of the soil is 
(luite aa important. In order to keep up a 
steady growth, it is necessary that the plants 



which clay should play a prominent part, and 
you can bo reasonat'ly sure of growing good 
Roses if you carry cut the instructions about 
pruning them. Stir the soil frequently to admit 
air and moisture, but do not dig de^p enough to 
disturb the roots. In hot, dry weather mnlch 
the soil about the plants with clippings from 
the lawn, or something that will shade the 
ground and retain moisture. This is very im- 
portant. 

Some of the very best varieties for cutting are 
the following : 

Cornelia Cook— Color, creamy white. Form of 
bud, unsurpassed. 



FLOWERS FOR CUTTING. 



29 



Coquette de Lyon— Canary yellow. Exquis- 
itely perfumed. 

iJ^toile de Lyon —Golden yellow. Large and 
sweet. 

Ductless of Edinburgh — Intense crimson. A 
lovely flower. 



Douglas- Cherry red, -i^ith velvety texture of 
petal. 

Hermosa — Everybody's Eose. Soft, bright 
pink, full and sweet. 

Princess do Sagan — Volvety crimson. 

I have named a dozen varieties, all good, and 




EOSE— JACQUEMINOT. 



Luciole— Cherry red with yellow center. Very 
fragrant. 

Madame de Watteville— A peculiar and most 
charming variety. Croam.v yellow shaded with 
rose, and each petal bordered with bright crim- 
son. Called the "Tulip Rose." 

Marie Guillot— Pure white. 

Perle des Jardins — Perhaps the best yellow, 
with the exception of Marechal Neil which it so 
greatly resembles that it is often sold for that 
variety. 

Sunset — A favorite everywhere. Amber, shad- 
ed with copper and crimson. Sweet. 



including all the leading colors and shades. 
Any or all of them will give the best of satis- 
faction if you give them the treatment I have 
advised. But I have by uo m^ans exhausted 
the list of desirable kinds. Indeed, for every 
kind I have named there are twenty other kinds 
equally as desirable in many respects, but those 
I have given special mention to are those which 
will bo likely to give best results under an ama- 
teur's care, when grown in garden beds. 

Por use in tall vases, for the corner of the 
parlor, or the hall, or wherever a mass of vivid 
color is required to relieve and brighten shad- 



30 



THE PRACTICAL aUTDE TO FLORICULTURE. 



owy places, the Gladiolus is one of our best 
flowers. Its tall spikes have a stately oflect 
■which cannot l»^ secured with brancbing plants. 
If cut when not more than half the flowers on a 
spike are developpd. the buds go on growing as 
if nothing had happened, and though a little 
lighter in color than the old flowers, because of 
being in a weaker light, they are quite as per- 
fect in form. There is nothing in the way of 
foliage that combines very satisfactorily with 
this flower, and it is better to use it without any. 
Do not attempt to arrange the spikes after any 
set form. Just drop them into the vase and let 
them arrange themselves. 

I have already spoken of the Hollyhock for 
eimi'iar uses. A combiuation of pale yellows 
and dark maroons is very fine. So is one of 
pure whites and soft pinks. Use no other flower 
with the Hollyhock if you want the best effect. 

In autiimn, grand color-effects can be wrought 
by using Golden Rod and Asters. These two 
flowers combine well, the pale, delicate colors 
of the one contrasting beautifully with, and 
h'^igbtening the richer hues of the other. At a 
fall wedding, the parlor was decorated with 
Golden Rod and Virginia Creeper, and the re- 
s ;lt was extremely pleasing. Long branches of 
the vine were trained over the doors and about 
the pictures, and allowed to fall gracefully and 
naturally, and the rich colors of the foliage gave 
a strong tone of warmth to the room, and 
aflorded an excellent background for the bright 
yellow flowers, which were grouped or massed, 
instead of being scattered about thinly. These 
groups were placed at points about the room 
where such a mass seemed moat appropriate. 
and they gave such a rich, bright efl'ect that 
they suggested clustered lights. Simphcity was 
the" keynote of the decorative scheme, as it 
should always be in order to secure most artis- 
tic results. "Nature should be studied in th^se 
matters, as her taste is unerring, and she makes 
no mistakes. 

Another excellent yellow fall flower which is 
capable of charming'results in the hands of one 
who has good taste is Helianthus multiil.orus 
jylena. This variety of the perennial Sunflower is 
very bright in color, and lights up a room won- 
dertullv. Its flowers lack that stiffness and forrn- 
ality which characterize most members of this 
family, and are never so large as to be objection- 
able. I have used them in combination with the 
semi-double and single Dahlias with satis- 
factory results. Only dark crimson, scarlet, or 
maroon Dahlias should be used with them. 

Grand effects can be produced with the single 
and half-double Dahlias, using two or three con- 
trasting and harmonious colors together. For 
a corner wh<'re shadowy effects soem appropri- 
ate, nothing can be finer than a great mass of 
velvety maroon varieties, their rich yellow cen- 
ters furnishing just enough bright color to re- 
lievo the darker one in the body of the flower. 
For a lighter place the rose and white sorts are 
superb. In a room that you want to make seem 
lighter thaa it really is, use great quantities of 
the rich, glowing yellow varieties, and it will be 
as if you had concentrated the sunshine there. 
If you want a " white and gold" effect, use the 
pure white kinds in combination with the yellow 
sorts, and you will bo greatly pleased with tho 
result. Always cut these "flowers with long 
stems to secure the noost satisfactory effects 



from them. They are fine for use in rose-bowls, 
if you use enough of them. A few do not an- 
swer, as they fall apart, and have a sprawly 
look. Have "so many that the flowers support 
each other, and hold" each other in place. Cut 
them with stems of uneven length, and let them 
stand up or bend over the bowl, to suit them- 
selves. 

Another fine flower for use in tall vases, on 
the table, is Coreopsis Lanceolata. This is a 
hardy herbaceous border plant, bearing rich 
yellow flowers about as large as a silver dollar, 
which are held well above the foliage on long 
and slender stems. In order to make it satis- 
factory, cut the stems fuU length, and do not at- 
tempt to arrange the flowers at all. Simply drop 
them into the vase, which should have a flaring 
top, and give them a shake, and lo ! your flow- 
ers have aiTanged themselves. These remarks 
about arrangement apply pertinently to the 
Sweet Pea, which is one of oitr best flowers for 
cutting. If one attempts to arrange this flower, 
she is almost certain to meet with failure. But 
we never seem to be able to understand that 
Nature knows much more about these things 
than we do. Sometimes, when I see the stiffly 
arranged flowers that I'esult from otir attempts 
to improve on Nature, I imagine that she is 
laughing in her sleeve at our ignorance and 
conceit ; at other times I think she feels indig- 
nant at our presumption. Be this as it may, 
the flowers are always in complete sympathy 
with h<'r, and in their" loyalty they refuse to look 
well when we supersede her methods with our 
own. They only respond to our ideas of what is 
proper in as far as those ideas are time to Na- 
ture's rules and suggestions. Force them to 
take on forms contrary to those which she has 
taught them to bo consistent with their habits 
of growth and they become etubbora and unre- 
sponsive, and look as awkward and uncomfort- 
able as a small boy in Sunday clothes. I can 
never rid myself of the impression that flowers 
think, and know when we are in sympathy with 
them. 

Last season I was much amused at the result 
of a friend's attempt to use the wild Crab Apple 
in decorating a room for a parly. Every one 
who has ever seen this charming tree in bloom 
knows how graceful it is when seen m its native 
covert. Bui when you cut the branches, and 
take them into a room, and try to make use of 
them in the same way you use ordinary plants, 
like the Golden Rod, the Hollyhock, or Roses, 
you find that suddenly all the grace seems to 
have gone out of the flowers. Why? Simply 
because the branches were never meant to 
stand up as you force them to when you put 
them into a vase that will not allow them to 
reach out as they did on the tree. They were 
meant for use in low, wide-mouthed vessels, 
and nothing else, and unless you can use them 
in that way ycu ought not to' use them at all. 
My friend was determined to conquer them, 
and make them conform to her idea of what was 
beautiful, and she put them into tall vases thai 
made them look as uncomiortable as a boy 
standing on his head. They stood up because 
they had to, but they had their revenge m look- 
ing so stiffly ungraceful that they made the room 
positively uncomfortable in appearance, though 
I presume not half a dozen persons knew 
what produced the effect they were dimly con- 



FLOWERS FOR GUTTING. 



31 



scious of. The next Sunday, at church, there 
was a wide-moutlied bowl on the pulpit filled 
with branches of these sa,m'3 ilowers and the 
result was exquisite, and the reason why it was 
BO was simply that the branches were allowed 
t5 assume such forms as were natural to them. 
Instead of reaching straight up, as they never 
do on the tree, they spread themselves out close 
to the pulpit cushion, making a wide, lew mass 
of pink and whito beauty that was the perfection 
of simplifity, because of its naturalness, there- 
fore a perfect success. 

For use ia large, low bowls, aa well as in deep 
vases where it is desirable to have something 
that droops or trails, we have no vine quite as 
beautiful as our native Chmatis, with its pani- 
cles of airy, gi-aceful white flowers. Both flow- 
ers and foliage are charming. This flower is 
one of the two or three kinds I would use with 
Roses. 

I have made charming decorations of it 
in combination with the Oleander. Branches 
of two or three feet in length should be cut, and 
a weight of some kind attached to the lowor end 
to hold them in place. If this is not done, they 
are often drawn out of the water by the weight 
of their droopj.a«4?i;^^s aad flowers, and when 
you discover, Vliat has happened, they aro with- 
ered. Notb^n<r can be finer for a simple pulpit 
decoration j^han a bowl into which three or tour 
branches otf ^^,ia clematis is fastened, the enps 
faUingon Vhe pulpit cushion, drooping over its 
edge, withj ],alf a dozen large Eoses m the cen- 
ter of the :mas9 



possible effect. No matter how beautiful the 
flowers are which yon put with them, they are 
sure to sufler from comparison with the Lilies, 
and the LUies seem to resent their presence. 
Plants of Lilies growing in pots can be used 
with other flowers in decorating rooms with 
good results, but cut them and put them in the 
same vase with other flowers and you will un- 
derstand that there is a lack of harmony result- 
ing from the contact which was not apparent 
when the plants were used. It would seem as 
if, iu ordir to assort their individuality prop- 
erly, they must not bo forced to become too 
famihar with other flowers. They are Lilies, 
aristocrats of the floral family, and plebian flow- 
ers must keep at a respectful distance. 

Nothing makes a finer bouquet for the desk or 
the breakfast table than a spray of Tea Roses, 
cut so that a full-blown flower, a half opened 
one, and buds in various stages of development 
are secured, with some foliage of rich green and 
the reddish tints peculiar to the young growth 
of this variety of the Rose. A wine-glass makes 
a good holder for such.a bouquet. 

For large Roses, like the Hybrid Perpetual, or 
the Provence, or others of the Jane flowering 
section, bowls are better tha.n.v»'>"° -:-•"*""■ 
branches are cuj jiiKfe^ftJ wiTtt a top six inches 

I'SSwi'SSe,. Halt a. dozen in a small 
^maSSa to givo each fl.ower.«oa.e_foh.8e; 



a manner as tu gi'>^ ^^ 1 , u„if oa nleasi 

white, ana oi , Roses without fohage are only half as pleaai 

Heavy iiowers ^^^^^-^^^^ ^^'^Jt|°lri™ of usingpink 

.re charming tor nt.e ........ ^^ , ^^t^^^^^^^^' 

whitet, and whites and nch yellows are very 



---- — 7 -jLiauvci x^i>-io. , ^ 1- 

hght, air /y graceful appearanc 

are net /^frpctivo with Roses. , . 

P'^i^^ies are charming for little bouquets in 
1°^^- /flat vessels but worthless when use^ m any 
°"Vcr way for table or room decoration. 

annuals, as its leaiuoij' "^ hoiah+pns and 

contrast for all other colors that heightens ana 
brings out their beauty well. 

The annual Calliopsia is very Pr?_".vJoi vases 
y^^xt^c Xons. and slender stems which hold tue 
Sowei^s we!l in air. and give them a graceful 

'^Snonetie should be --ff^^^l^^^tri^, 
tral color helps to bring out the beat y o ^^ic^^ 
colors, and its delightful fragrance fills the room 
ToUVi " odors of Araby the blest. 
^ Mies are'favorito Lwers for use in taU vases 
hilt thev should never be combined with any 
oSer flower' if you want them to give the best 



quet 

a"buttonhore"''bouquet^ or for the 



one, with a 
charmiug as 

^he'Nasturtium is one of our best annuals for 
tii.,^ T+a vipb orange and scarlet lints, m 

Sl£iaS,§S\Sa^taSe 

or the mantel. 



32 



THE PRACTICAL GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 



Vines. 



One of the best vines for uso about voranflas 
and porches, or for training over wire netting, 
to form scieen&, is the Clematis. There are many 
fine varieties, of various colors. Perhaps the 
most j;~npular sort is Jackmanii. a rich violet- 
purpW/ '.vith very large flowers. ""'"" '" " "*-"«„ 



This is a strons 



Duchess of Edinburgh is a double white va- 
riety. 

Beauty of Worcester, bluish violet, with double 
and single flowers oo the same plant. 

Lawsoniana, rosy purple. 

Paniculata, small, pure white flowers, in pani- 




CLEMATI8. 



P^ir/n,^;•'^ia^\''^viLXrvarS^Thi' '^r ' friJ'^' rr'- ^-^ - "^-^ or striking a. 



Ja.kmani.: but ex.ui'.Uely beaufiful.''This1.ul 
F lawmu a, a native white variotv" with Trac" 
ful, U-athory flowers, I consider the best of all 

in'faJrcS' l]f'^''' *^?"*7 '« concerned 

in lall, cut the vmes back to within two or 



VI]!iES. 



33 



three feet of the ground, and lay the top down j Celastrus. 
on the ground, covering with loaves or litter. 



Honeysuckle. 

This old shrubby vine is always a favorite, as 
it deserves to be. Its flowers are beautiful, 
8we>'*t, and produced in great profusion during 
the season.' Its culture is as easy as that ot any 
shrub. 

The leading varieties are : 

Halleana, white, changing to yellow. 

Scarlet Trumpet, scarlet. 

Monthly, red and yellow. 

Wistaria. 

For locations south of Chicago this is one of 
the finest vines that can be selected. North of 
that point it cannot be depended on, though I 
have seen very fine specimens much farther 
north. It is a wonderful grower, often reach- 
ing the cornice of three-story houses. Its flow- 
ers are pea- shaped, and produced in great, pen- 
dulous clusters. There are two leading varie- 
ties, pale blue, and white. Planted together, 
the two sorts are very effective. 

Ampelopsis. 

This is our native Virginia Creeper. It is one 
of the finest vines we have, clambering all over 
the walls and roof, and goina where the Ivy 
goes, in places where the latter is hardy. In 
autumn the foliage becomes a brilliant crim- 
son, and the plant seems a mass of flowers of 
most brilliant color. Probably oar best native 
vine for general use, 



Celastrus scavdens, or Bittersweet, is another 
excellent native vine. It is a very rapid, vigor- 
ous grower. Its foliage is always bright and 
pleasing, and never attacked by worms or in- 
sects. It bears great quantities of fruit, in 
drooping clusters, each berry of bright crimson 
being enclosed in an orange capsule, which di- 
vides in three parts, and discloses the fruit 
within. These clusters are as ornamental as 
flowers, and remain on the plant all winter if 
not taken by the birds. 

Aristolocbia. 

A vine of rapid growth, with very largo, heart- 
shaped leaves, and brownish flowers, shaped 
something like a pipe, hence its popular name 
of " Dutchman's Pipe." 

Akebia Quinata. 

A very beautiful and luxuriant vine, with mag- 
nificent foliage, and flowers of chocolate-purple, 
having a delicious perfume. A rapid grower, 
and unsurpassed for covering trellises and ve- 
randas. 

Bignonia. 

A most beautiful vine for the central and 
southern s'^ctions of the United States. Too 
tender at the north. Foliage very beautiful. 
Flowers trumpet-shaped, orange-scarlet in color, 
and produced in large clusters, contrasting 
charmingly with the foliage. Known in many 
localities aa Trumpet Creeper. 



34 



THE PRACTICAL GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 



The Propagation of Plants. 



Most plants that are grown in the window or 
greenhouse are propagated from slips or cut- 
tings. " Slip " is the term in general uso among 
amateurs— it moans the same thing as cutting, 
which is the professional florists' name— and re- 
fers to branches cut or broken from the old 
plant, and inserted in soil or water, where tbey 
form roots of their own and become independent 
plants. Nearly all kmds in general cultivation 
root readily under proper conditions. Some aro 
quite diflScult to make grow from cuttings, and 
these aro best propagated by layering, which 
process will be described farther on. 

I have spoken of proper conditions. Let me 
explain what I mean by that. 

I find that most cuttings strike best— that is, 
for roots— in an open soil through which the air 
can circulate freely. This soil should bo kept 
moist at all times, and warm, for moisture and 
warmth are conducive to a satisfactory develop- 
ment of young roots. Under these conditions, 
cuttings of Geranium, Heliotrope and Fuchsia, 
and nearly all other plants of a similar class, 
will strike in a week's time, and not oiie in a 
hundred need be lost, if care is taken to have it 
in the right condition at the time of taking it 
from the old plant. Imperfectly developed wood 
is not good, neither is too old a branch. There 
is an intermediate stage of development, wben 
the branch is neither tough or brittle, and that 
is the condition your cutting should be in. A 
little experience in rooting cuttings will enable 
you to tell at a glance when one is too young or 
too old. Until you have had this experience, 
perhaps the best way to tell is to take the branch 
in your hand and give it a sudden, sharp bend. 
If it about half breaks, but still seems loth to 
part, it is just about right, and you will be justi- 
fied in making a cutting of it. Too green, soft 
wood rots easily before roots form, and too old 
wood takes so long to form roots that the vitality 
in the branch is about used up before roots are 
formed to feed the plant. 

Cuttings having a tough bark, like Oleander, 
Ivy and other plants of similar habit, often root 
most surely in water. For this purpose use a 
large-mouthed vial. Fill it partly full of pure 
rain water, and hang it in a sunny window where 
the sun can strike the water, but have a paper 
or shade arranged in such a manner as to pro- 
tect the top of the cutting from the snn. Drop 
the cuttings loosely into the bottle. As the 
water evaporates add more, keeping the bottle 
about half full. In two or three weeks many 
cuttings will show tiny white roots at the base. 
Some will not form roots in as many months. 
When the roots have grown to be an inch or two 
in length, and there are several of them, the 
young plant can be lifted carefully out and set 
in very light, fine soil, taking great care to not 
break or bruise the roots, which are very deli- 
cate at this period of growth. I would advise 
sifting the soil about th(; ])l!iuts rather than put- 
ting it on with pressure, lirniing it by putting on 
a Buflicient quantity of wat(.T to settle it. 



1 generally use some such shallow vessel as a 
soup-plate filled with coarse sand in which to 
strike cuttings. Of course, if one is goiLg to 
make much of a business of it, a regular cut- 
ting-bench with bottom heat is the proper thing 
to have, but amateurs will find the soup-p'ate 
quite equal to their requirements. The sand 
should \>Q pure sand, not a mixture of sand and 
clay, or sand and loam. These make a muddy 
mass, in which cuttings do not form roots read- 
ily. If you have no sand that is free from these 
elements, wash it until you get rid of the clay 
and loam, by putting it in a sieve and pouring 
water over it. The finer portions of soil will run 
through with the water, leaving a sharp, clear 
sand, which is what you want. Fill your plate 
nearly lull with it, and shake it down into a com- 
pact mass. Pour on enough water to moisten 
it all through, but not enough to make it icet. 
As evaporation takes place -and it will be rapid, 
because the sand is so porous if kept in a warm 
place— add more water, aiming to keep it in a 
condition of moisture all through at all times. 

In this sand insert your cutting, pinching the 
soil firmly about its base. By following the ad- 
vice given— that is, keeping it warm and moist 
— you can be reasonably sure of success. But 
if jou let it get cold at night, or it dries out. 
you can be pretty sure that your cuttings are 
spoiled. 

If your cuttings root, you will soon notice that 
young leaves are being sent out at the top of 
the slip. When four or five leaves have devel- 
oped, It will be safe to transfer the cuttings to 
pots. Use very small ones at first, but be sure 
to see that tliey never dry out. Unless you 
watch them carefully they will be likely to do 
80, as the bulk of earth in each to retain mois- 
ture is very small, consequently easily aflectod 
by the atmosphere. It is a good plan to set 
your little pots close together on sand, and fill 
in about them with more sand. In this way you 
can keep them moist at the roots very easily, 
until it is time to put them in larger pots. If 
you put them in large pots at first, you make a 
great mistake. They generally die when treated 
in this way, and the amateur florist is at a loss 
to understand why. It is because there is more 
soil in the pot than the young roots can make 
use of, and th»3 plants are over- fed. Their 
stomachs are too delicate to digest the great 
quantity of food forced upon them, and they die 
of dyspepsia. Give a young plant just out of 
the 'cutting-plate a pot not larger than two in- 
ches across. When this is filled with roots, and 
not before, shift to a pot of larger size. 

In selecting cuttings, do not make the mistake 
of having them too large to begin with. One, 
two or three inches in length is quite enough. 
Clip ofi" the leaves on the part to be insertO'l in 
the soil close to the stalk, and leave but one or 
two at the top. But do i.ot trim off all the leaves, 
as some do, because there must be a little leaf- 
age left on to enable the plant to breathe while 
roots aro forming. 



THE PROPAGATION OF PLANTS. 



35 



In this manner most plants can be propagated 
readily, as I have said, but some out- door 
plants are propagated more certainly by layer- 
ing. Tbis method consists in taking a branch 
that is thrown out near the base of an old one, 
and bendiog it down so that a portion of it can 
be inserted in the soil near the old plant, leav- 
ing it still connected, however. If a slight 
break is made on the lower side of the branch, 
at the point where it goes under the soil, or a 
little cut is given at that point, roots form more 
readily, as the flow of sap is checked at that 
point, and a callous form, from wbi^h roots are 
sent out. It is well to peg the branch down 
firmly where it is inserted in the soil, so that it 
will not be shifting about. A stick should be 
set near it, and the end of it tied so that it re- 
tains an upright position. It often takes weeks 
for a branch to root under this plan, but is gen- 
erally successful. If you have any doubts about 
roots having formed, do not sever the connec- 
tion between the young and the old plant in 
fall, but let them remain until the following 
spring. This ia the best way in which to root 
Ivies. 

The Gloxinia and Rex Begonia can be propa- 
gated by taking the thick leaves and laying 
them down on a saucer of moist sand, which 
should be kept warm. Before putting them in 
position on the sand, cut across the thick ribs 
on the back of the leaf in several places. Then 
place them so that these places will come in 
contact with the sand, pinning them down, or 
fastening them by laying small stones on them. 
80 that they cannot be shitted. In a short time 
young plants will start at the points where the 
cuts were made. 

Dahlias can be propagated by division of the 
tubers, after the manner of Potatoes, being sure 
that each portion has an "eye," or growing 
point. Also, by rooting cuttings. Better plants 
are grown in this way than one will be likely to 
secure by planting a whole bunch of tubers, as 
many do. By division, you can get a great many 
plants, while by planting the whole bunch to- 
gether you get but one. 

In starting Tuberoses into growth in the house 
early in the season, as it is advisable to do at 
the North, where the season is short, it is always 
best to cut off the old and withered roots at the 
base of the bulb before planting them. Cut 
them off pretty close to the solid portion of the 
bulb. If this is not done, these old roots often 
decay before new roots are formed, and decay 
ia communicated to the bulb througli them, and 
failure results. 

Dahlias and Tuberoses, being natives of the 
South, where the seasons are long and warm, 
requu'e early starting at the North, in order to 
insure success with them. Unless started into 
growth in March or April, they seldom come into 
bloom before time for frost, and a slight freezing 
ends them. Dahlias can bo potted in large pots 
or boxes, without separating the tubers. When 



it is safe to plant them in the open ground, the 
tubers can be broken apart. In starting Tube- 
roses, plant the bulbs in pots of light, sandy 
soil, and keep them quite warm and modei'ately 
moist until growth sets in. When you plant 
them out, turn them out of their pots without 
disturbing their roots. 

Many persons want to got a " start of the sea- 
son " with their annuals. They sow the seed in 
pots and boxes. The plants germinate, grow 
rapidly for a short time, and then die off. Why? 
Generally because they have been forced to 
make an unnatural growth. They are kept too 
warm and too moist at the roots, but too dry at 
the top, and they get bnt little frfsh air. 

In order to grow seedlings well in the house 
in the spring, great pains must be taken with 
them. They must not be kept in too warm a 
place. A temperature of 65 degrees is quite 
warm enough for them. Do not water them too 
much. Just keep the soil moist— never wet. 
Have the air of the room moist, by showering 
the young plants with a fine spray, or by evap- 
orating water on a stove or register. And be 
very sure to admit all the fresh air possible. 
Do not open the window so that cold air from 
out of doors can blow directly on them, but open 
a door or window at a little distance from them, 
and let the fresh air come in and mix with the 
warm air in the room before it reaches them. 
This is very important. You cannot grow plants 
well in the house from seed unless you follow 
these instructions. On all sunny, warm days, it 
is well to set the pots or boxes out on the veran- 
da, if it is sheltered from the winds, and let 
them remain there until three or four o'clock. 
In this way they become somewhat used to out- 
door conditions before the time comes to plant 
them out in the open ground, and they will be 
all the healthier for it. If kept too close and 
warm, and away from pure, fresh air, the young 
plants will be so weak and spindling, and so 
lacking in vitality when the time comes to plant 
them out, they will suffer greatly from the check 
caused by change of conditions, and very fre- 
quently they die because of it. Plants so weak 
that this change checks them are a long time in 
recovering from it, and, as a general thing, 
plants grown from seed sown in the beds at the 
time of putting out, the house-grown seedlings 
get the start of them. The way to prevent this 
is to take such care of the plants started in the 
house that thf y are strong and healthy, and able 
to stand the change when it comes. If care is 
taken to grow them in this condition, at least a 
month can be gained by starting them in the 
house. But I would not advise it for the hardier 
sorts of annuals, because they are better able 
to take care of themselves tnan the amateur 
florist is to take care of them, when growing in 
pots and boxes. A good deal of labor, and a 
very great deal of attention i-i required by seed- 
lings in early spring, if you want them to be 
what they ought to be. 



THE PRACTICAL GUIDE TO FLOBICULtUiiE. 



Soil for House-Plants, Potting, Etc. 



When the writer of this little manual on flori- 
culture bogran to grow plants in the house, it was 
generally supposed by the amateur— because it 
was taught by the writers on floricultural topics 
—that a special preparation of soil should be 
made tor each plant. 

Since then amateurs, as well as professionals, 
hava found out that most kinds of plants euit=id 
to culture»in the house or greenhouse succeed 
very well if grown in the same kind of soil- 
that is, that the compost that grows one well 
will answer as well for the other kinds. 

This simplifies the work vastly. 

A very good compost, in which nearly all 
kinds of plants can be grown satisfactorily, is 
prepared as follows : 

Odo- third good garden loam. 

One-third leaf-mold, or, if this is not obtain- 
able, turfy matter scraped from the bottom of 
old sods in roadside or pasture. 

One-sixth old, wt>ll-rotted manure. 

One-sixth sharp, clean sand. 

These elements should be mixed well together. 
The result will be a compost that is mellow, 
friable and rich. 

K turfy matter is used instead of leaf-mold, 
care should be taken to have it full of the fine 
roots of the grass, as it is this vegetable matter 
that takes the place of leaves. 

Sand is a most important itigredient. Without 
it, most soils become so firm and compact that 
water is retained, and souring takes place, lead- 
ing to an unhealthy action of the roots and the 
consequent death of the plant. With a proper 
proportion of sand in the soil it will be always 
friable, provided the item of drainage is given 
proper attention. 

I consider sand of more importance to the 
well-being of a plant than manure is. If I could 
have but one, I would choose sand every time, 
as the condition of the soil has quite as much to 
do with a plant's development as the quality of 
it. Very fair plants can be grown in a soil of 
only moderate richness, if it is open and light, 
but plants can never be grown well in a heavy, 
BOggy soil, no matter how rich it may be. 

In getting ready to pot plants, the first thing 
to do IS to soak the pots, if new. Put them in a 
tub of water, and let them absorb all the water 
they will. If this is not done, the porous clay 
will draw the moisture from the soil and the 
roots will be severely injured at the very time 
when they ought not to be interfered with by 
any such drawback as lack of sufficient moisture. 
If old pots are used, they should be scrubbed 
clean with a stiff brush and soapy water. 

I consider clay pots, unglazed, preferable to 
anythivg else in which to grow plants. 

Boxes answer very well, but the constant 
moisture inside the box soon brings on decay. 
It is a much more difficult matter to transplant 
plants grown in boxes than in pots, because the 
mass of earth in which the roots are will not 
slip out of a box smoothly, as it will out of a 
pot, consequently there must be more or leas 



distru'baoce of the mots of the plant when 
change is made. Tin cans are frequently used, 
but their use is always to be discouraged unless 
boles are punched in the bottom for drainage. 

Glazed pots are not as good as unglazed ones, 
because their glazing destroys their porosity, 
but if drainage is attended to they answer very 
well in the living-room. In the greenhouse I 
would never use them. 

In potting plants, have a quantity of drainage 
material ready for use along with your potting 
soil. This can be made of broken pottery, 
crockery, brick, or small stones— anything that 
will not'decay. There should be from an inch 
to three inches of this put into the bottom of 
each pot, according to its size, before soil is 
added. Care should be taken to not have this 
material too fine, as that causes it to pack firmly 
in the bottom of the pot, and the application 
of water brings the soil down among it until the 
crevices are filk-d and drainage is prevented. 
Use largo pieces in the bottom, filling in with 
smaller as you work towards the soil. It is a 
good plan to put a layer of sphagnum moss over 
the drainage material. This lasts for a long 
time, and prevents the soil from getting down 
among the crockery or whatever is used oelow. 
By the time it decays the roots will have reached 
and penetrated the cracks and crevices between 
the bits of matter used, and when that is done 
thf re is no danger of soil working in. 

In potting a plant, do not fill the pot with soil 
at first. Put in a suflScient quantity to cover the 
material in the bottom, and then set in your 
plant, and fill in about the roots with soil, work- 
ing it down among them well. If this is done, 
the pot will not be so filled when the process of 
potting is completed, that there is no space at 
the top for water. At least an inch, or an inch 
and a half, should be left between the top of the 
soil and the rim of the pot. In watering, you 
can pour on enough to thoroughly penetrate the 
soil by filling this space. If the pot is filled with 
soil most of the water applied runs over its edge, 
and the result is that very little moisture gets 
down among the roots where it is needed, unless 
there are frequent applications daily. More 
plants die from lack of moisture at the roots than 
from any other cause, 1 think. A slight appli- 
cation makes the surface of the soil look moist, 
and from this the owner gets an idea that it is 
moist all through. But an examination would 
show that the soil a short distance from the top 
is dry. Enough must be given to thoroughly 
penetrate all the soil in the pot in order to grow 
a plant well. An inch and a half space between 
the soil and rim of the pot will accommodate 
enough water to moisten the soil in the pot all 
through, as a general thing. Of course such a 
space is not necessary on small-sized pots, but 
small-sized "pots must be given more frequent 
attention than large -sized ones, because they 
dry out more rapidly, the quantity of soil in 
them being so much less that evaporation takes 
place very fast. 



SOIL FOR HOnSE-PLANTS, POTTING, ETC. 



37 



It is not necessary to use such largo pots as 
many seem to think absolutely necessary to the 
auccesstul cultivation of ordinary plants. I have 
found that the majority of plants gi-own in the 
sitting-room do not need pots moro than seven 
or eight inches across when fully developed, 
while the average plant is satisfied with a six- 
inch pot, if the soil is good. By the term 
" average plant," I mean Geraniums, Helio- 
tropes, and plants of that class of the size 
usually seen in the window-garden. Aa a gen- 
eral tbing most amateurs renew their plants 
yearly, consequently they never r^^quire a great 
amount of root room. Older plants should have 
larger pots, but most persons who have limited 
accommodations prefer to keep their plants to 
small sizes, so that they can have more of them. 
I think they would find larger plants, and fewer 
of tbein, more satisfactory. 

When plants are young and increasing in size 
rapidly, it is necessary to give them frequent 
shifts to pots of larger sizes than those in which 
they have been growing. In order to know when 
it is necessary to do this, the condition of the 
roots must be examined. This is easily done by 
inverting the pot across the left hand with the 
plant passing through between the fingers. 
Then give tlie edge of the pot a sharp tap 
against something solid, and the ball of earth 
in it will be loosened, and the entire mass will 
slip out readily without disturbing the roots of 
the plants in the least. 

If the roots of the plant have filled the mass 
of soil, and there is a network of tbem around 
its edge, it is safe to conclude that a shift is ad- 
visable. If only an occasional root shows itself, 
the plant does not require a larger pot just yet. 



Older plants get along very well with a yearly 
repotting. It is a good plan to remove the top 
of the soil in fall, if the plant has grown much 
during the summer, and put fresh earth in its 
place, aa considerable nutriment will be re- 
quired to take the plant through the flowering 
period in good condition. If some fresh soil is 
not given, or the plant is not repotted entirely 
in fall, I would advise the application of some 
reliable fertilizer at least once a week, after Sep- 
tember, if the plant ia growing actively. If not, 
give no fertilizer until such growth begins. 
Some persons use fertilizers when their plants 
are standing still, thiaking that something of 
this kind ia needed to start them into growth. 
This is wrong. No plant is in proper condition 
to make use of rich food unless it is in a state of 
development, and to give such food to a plant 
that ia taking a rest is to injure it. Bear this in 
mind always, and be governed accordingly, if 
you would grow your plants healthily. 

In repotting plants, if a portion of the roots 
are broken off or injured in any way, alwava be 
sure to remove a corresponding amount of 
top. 

The best time to repot plants from which 
winter flowers are desired is spring. This gives 
them a chance to grow during the season, and, 
as a general thing, when a plant is growing well 
it does not blossom much. After a develoc- 
ment of branches, flowering begins. When huda 
appear, give the fertilizer vou deci-^e upon, and 
assist ttie plant in the production of fine flowers. 
If repotting were done in fall there would be a 
likelihood of bringing about a growth of top 
rather than flowers, and because of this danger 
I advise repotting in spring. 



38 



the' PRACTICAL GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 



Plant Enemies. 



If " ot^mal vigilance is the price of liberty," 
it is DO less so of bealthv plants. In order to 
have fine apecimena it is very necessary that 
they be watched carefully, and kept fr»'e from 
the various insects and other ent-mies that will 
b« pretty sure to attack them, if not given con- 
stant attention. 

One of the most common insect pesta with 
which the plaot-grower has to deal is the aphis, 
or green fly. 

The surest method of getting rid of this pest 
is that of fumigation. 

If you have a pmall, close room, put the plants 
in it, at some distance above the tioor, ana burn 
tobacco stems and leaves under them, by drop- 
ping them, after haviug molat^'nei them, on 
coals, which, for safety's sake, should be kept in 
an iron pot. The moi^jtened leaves will givf* off 
a dense smoke, which, if confin-^d long enough 
about the plants, will be quite sure to kill all the 
aphides. 

If you do not have such a room, a large dry- 
goods box can be fitted up tor fumigating pur- 
poses, which will answer very well. Tf the smoke 
18 generated in a large room, a great deal more 
is required than will be necessary in a smaller 
space, and this smoke is vi^ry disagreeable to 
moat persons, and braves a strong stale pcent on 
everything with which it comes in contact. It 
will be necessary to air the room repeatedly in 
order to get rid of it. It is therefore advisable 
to have a room or box fitted up especially for fu- 
migating purposes. 

The smoke must be dense and strong in ord^r 
to be effective. I have seen some ladies scatter 
a small quantity of tobacco on a little bunch of 
coals in a basin, making about the same amount 
of smoke that a man gets from the ordinary 
pipe. This they would blow gingerly among 
their plants tor a minute or two, and the next 
day they would pronounce the fumigating plan 
a failure. Their way of applying it moat certainly 
was. 

There must be smoke enough to stupefy the 
insects at once, and it must bo confined about 
the plants long enough to kill the stupefied 
aphides, in order to make the plan effpctual. 
Unless you can fumigate your plants in this way, 
th'^re is but little benefit to be derived from the 
use of tobacco as an inaectide. It is aome- 
timf'8 ateepod in hot water, and the infusion 
ayringed over the plants, but this is a most dis 
agreeable thing to do because the tea stains 
evcrv thing with which it comes in contact, and 
it seldom puts the enemy to rout. Strong smoke 
will stupefy the pest so that it can be shaken 
from the plant, or, if confined about the plants, 
will surely kill it, and because of this certainty 
of results it is vastly preferable to any other 
method of using tobacco in fighting this enemy. 
Coarse stems and leaves, such as cigar-mak- 
ers have left after mannfacturing cisars, are 
much preferable to tobacco eold at the store, be- 
cause the latter is often drugged to such an ex- 
tent that it loses the peculiar quality which is 
neceseary in fluccesaful fumigation. 

r 



The red spider is quite sure to attack plants 
kept in a very warm room where the air is dry. 
This pest is one of the moat destructive one s 
with which I am familiar. It is so small that it 
can hardly be seen with the naked eye, and 
quite often its presence is doubted because it 
cannot be seen. But if you notice the leaves 
turning yellow and dropping off, and the under- 
side of tbom seems covered with a thin web, 
you may be satisfied that the spider is at work. 
On examination you will find little specks among 
the webbing, and these specks— which look more 
like grains of Cayenne pepper than anything 
else-are the insects which do so much damage 
to your plants. 

The < nly remedy for this pest that I know of 
is water. He wi.l net remain in a moist atmos- 
phere. In order to get rid of him you must 
provide yourself with a syringe which will 
throw a spray with considerable force. Then 
daily, or oltener, shower your plants all over. 
See that no part of them escapes wetting. Be par- 
ticularly careful to get at the underside of every 
leaf, for there is where be lurks. The thorrufih 
and often repeated application of water will 
surely drive him away, but it is often quite diffi- 
cult to use enough of it in the sitting-room to 
accomplish this purpose. It is a good plan, 
therefore, to fill a tuo with wat^r and immerse 
the plants in it. allowing them to remain some 
tim". This will drown the insect and effectually 
rid the plants of the enemy, and after this is 
done it la possible to keep it from obtaining 
another foothold on them by the liberal use of 
water daily, being careful, as I have said, to see 
that every portion of the plant is reached by the 
application. 

The mealy bug is a hard creature to fight, be- 
cause he gets down in the axil of the leaf, in 
every crack and crevice of the pot, and under 
the bark of rough-wcoded plants. But by the 
use of an emulsion of kerosene ho can bo routed. 
Prepare this emulsion according to the fjillow- 
ing formula : 

5 parts kerosene, 
1 part fir-tree oil, 
20 parts water. 

Put these together in a watering-pot and agi- 
tate rapidly for a moment by putting the syringe 
into the mixture and drawing it up and expell- 
ing it with considerable force. The oils and 
water will unite readily. Apply the emnleion to 
every portion of the plant infested with the 
mealy bug. Scale is killed by this emulsion ; 
therefore its value in the greenhouse will be 
readily understood by those who have fought 
these two enemies unsuccessfully with other 
preparations. I am told that if 40 parta water 
are added to the oils, instead of 20, as ad- 
vised above, a preparation is secured which kills 
the aphis. 

For worms in the soil I use a preparation of 
lime water. Take a piece of fresh lime as large 
as a tea cup. Put it in a pailful of rain water. 
It will dissolve, and a white sediment will settle 



PLANT ENEMIES. 



39 



to tho bottom, leaving the water above as clear 
as if nothing had been added to it. Pour this 
off, and use it on the soil in your pot8, I 
have frequently advised this, but persons who 
have tried it have written to say that it 
amounted to nothing. On inquiry I have always 
found that their application of the lime-water 
was made in such homeopathic doses that it is 
not at all to be wondered at that they tailed to 
secure successful results. Instead of putting on 
enough water to thoroughly penetrate all the 
soil in the pot, they applied it by the spoonful. 
To accomplish anything, enough must be given 
to wet the entire mass of earth. No one need 
fear getting too strong a solution, as the water 
can take up only a certain amount of lime, 



therefore thpre is no danger in this direction. 
In almost all cases worms in the soil can be 
traced to the use of manure from the barnyard. 
I much prefer to use some fertilizer which will 
not brf>ed worms. There are preparations on the 
market which are equally as good as manure in 
bringing about the development of plants, and 
it is perfiictly safe to use if the directions ac- 
companying the packages are followed, and one 
has the satisfaction of knowing, when he applies 
it, that worms will not come from it. 

The fir-tree oil used in making the kerosene 
t^mulsion cannot be obtained at tho ordinary 
drug-store in many places. It may be neces- 
sary to send to some of the large plant-dealers 
who handle all kinds of florists' supplies for it. 



40 



THE PRACTICAL GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 



The Care of House Plants. 



It may eeom to the person who has had but 
little experience in taking care of plants grown 
in the sitting-room or kitchen window, that it is 
the easiest thing in the world to take such care 
of plants that tbey will flourish satisfactorily. 
But such is not the case. While it is true that 
any one who loves plants can grow them well, it 
is also true that in order to do this they must go 
to work intelligently, and care for them scien- 
tifically, and to do this it is necessary that their 
requirements should bo fully understood, and 
certain general rules followed. Unless this is 
done, one's plants will prove failures. 

Therefore, in order to care for them properly, 
one must first know what needs doing, and the 
reason for it, and then act accordingly. 

While certain general rules can bo given, full 
instructions cannot be laid down which will ap- 
ply to all cases, because there are always con- 
ditions of difference which must be duly consid- 
ered. On this account one must use judgment, 
and modify the general rules to fit each indi- 
vidual case. It will be comparatively easy to do 
this when one has had a little experience with 
plants. 

One of the most important items is that of 
watering. Some persons apply water frequently, 
and in small quantities. In such cases,, as I 
have remarked in the preceding chapter, the 
result is often very disastrous, because there is 
not enough moiijture to penetrate through the 
entire mass of soil, and the consequence is that 
while the surface appears moist, the lower por- 
tion is dry. I would therefore discourage the 
" little and often " practice. Another practice 
is, to water freely and regularly, without any 
regard to the condition the soil is in. This is 
quite as bad a habit as the other, for very fre- 
quently the soil is sufficiently moist, and to add 
more water is to make it wet, and the frequent 
application of water thereafter will keep it in 
that condition. Few plants will grow in mud. 

The only safe rule to follow is this : 

Water your plants when the surface of the soil 
in the pot looks dry— and not till then, except 
in cases where you know more water suits the 
plant, as in the case of the Calla, which is really 
a semi-aquatic. 

But when you do water your plants, under the 
above rule, be sure to water inorouahly. That 
is, apply enough to make all the soil in the pot 
moist. About the only way to tell when enough 
has been given is to put on so much that a little 
will ran out at the bottom of the pot. In most 
cases this will show that all the soil is affected 
by the application. If the drainage is good, 
there will be no danger of overwatonug. Some 
plants will require watering daily, oapocially if 
in small pots. Others will not reqiiiro watering 
oftoner than every other day. Location, the 
heat of the room, and other influences act in 
the case, and all must be taken into considera- 
tion in order to understand the wants of your 
particular plants, which, very likely, will require 
a little different treatment from those of your 
neighbor's, because, as I have said, of the dif- 



ference in conditions which are pretty sure to 
exist. 

Some give warm watpr. Some give cold water. 
I amfrequpntly asked which is best. 

I take the water for my plants from a cistern 
just outside the greenhouse, and apply it alike to 
all plants, and I have never seen the tenderest 
injured by it. Well-water may sometimes be 
colder than cistern-water, but not generally is it 
so, I do not consider it at all necessary to go to 
the trouble of warming water for plants unless 
in exceptional cases, where the water is unusu- 
ally cold. Then I would advise letting it stand 
in the room long enough, before applying, to 
allow the chill to pass off. 

Some persons seem to have the idea that a 
saucer is provided with each pot for the purpose 
of holding water from which the soil in the pot 
is to soak up enough to meet the requirements 
of the plant. Such is not the case. This saucer 
is for the purpose of holding such water as runs 
out of the soil. Go into a greenhouse and you 
will find that saucers are not used there. They 
are useful only in rooms where something is re- 
quired to prevent surplus water from running 
on the floor or carpet. 

It is a good plan to stir the soil in the pota 
with a stick, or an old- fashioned fork. This pre- 
vents it from becoming crusted over, and allows 
air to get to the roots freely. It also puts it in 
a condition to take in water easily. 

One of the principal drawbacks to the success- 
ful cultivation of plants in the ordinary living- 
room is the high temperature which generally 
prevails there. You will find most rooms far too 
warm. The plants are forced into unhealthy 
growth. A temperatui-e of 7U degrees is quite 
high enough for most plants, and 65 degrees 
would undoubtedly be better, but the human 
occupants have become so accustomed to un- 
healthy degrees of heat that they would imagine 
themselves suffering from cold in a temperature 
below 70, and quite frequently you find it up to 
80 or more. But few plants can stand this. 
Those that do so are never satisfactory. 

In addition to the high temperature, we have 
intense dryness of air. The moisture is all 
burned out of it. Plants must have some moist- 
ure in the air, in order to do well, as well as at 
the roota. Much can be done to counteract the 
influence of this unnatural dryness by keeping 
water in pans on the register or stove to evapo- 
rate steadily. In addition to this, the plants 
should be showered daily. I say showered, not 
sprinkled, I would recommend for this purpose 
a brass syringe which throws a fine spray with 
such force that all parts of the plants can be 
reached. Do not bo content -with a slight appli- 
cation of water to the foliage of the plant, but 
Eut on enough to cover it with moisture as if it 
ad just had a rain-bath. See that the under- 
Hide of the leaves are as wet as the upper side. 
Such a showering not only helps the plant to 
breathe mere freely, but it prevents the red 
spider from attacking it. It also keeps the 
leaves free from duet, thus adding vastly to 



THE CARE OF HOUSE PLANTS. 



41 



their appearance, for a plant coated over •with 
duet is never attractive, and it cannot be hoalthy, 
becauae plants breathe through pores in the 
leaves, and a coating of dust clogs these pores 
to such an exteutthattheair cannot get in in suf- 
ficient quantity to supply the needs of the plant. 

But do not shower your plants in summer 
when the sun shines upon them, because the 
hf'at is often intense enough to cause the leaves 
to blister from its effect on the moisture, which 
often collects and stands in drops. Wherever 
these drops stand on a leaf in strong sunshine, 
a black spot is generally left, or a blotch that 
looks as if hot water had been applied. It is a 
good plan to drop a shade between the plants 
and the light for a little time after showering 
them, if they stand in a sunny window. If show- 
ered at night this is, of course, unnecessary. 

Plants should be turned about in the window 
at least once a week to prevent their becoming 
drawn over and one-sided. They reach out 
toward the sunshine, and before one becomes 
aware of it, unless she watches them very closely, 
their branches have taken such a turn toward the 
glass that it is hard work to get them back into 
symmetrical shape without staking them, and in 
order to get the greatest amount of pleasure 
from a plant as few stakes as possible should be 
used. If care is taken to turn the plants fre- 
quently, it is an easy matter to keep them 
shapely. Give all aides the benefit of the light. 

Sometimes plants persist m sending out 
branches on one side while the other looks as 
bare aa if you had gone over it with a pruning- 
knife. What you must do in this case is to cut 
back the branches that it puts forth, and keep 
them from growing until it has started branches 
on the vacant places. This you can force almost 
any plant to do by persistent effort. 

If you want a plant to take on a tree-like form, 
keep it from sending out aide-branches until 
it IS two, three, or four feet high, as you may 
think best. Then cut off the end of it. In a 
short time it will send out branches. Some of 
these will be at the top, and eome below the 
top, but all except those nearest its extremity 
should be picked off" as soon as they start. Al- 
low several at and near the top to grow. When 
they have reached the length of four or five 
inches nip the end of ihem off. This induces 
them to branch, and in this way you soon have 
a compact little head for your tree formed. 



If you prefer a shrubby form for your plant, 
cut the main stalk back when it is about six or 
eight inches tail, and encourage the growth of 
several stalks instead of one, from the base of 
the plant. I prefer this plan to any other for 
such plants as the Chrysanthemum and plants of 
similar habit. Abutilons make pretty little trees, 
and take to that form readily. 

Many plants are inclined to grow in awkward 
shapes if left to themselves. This is particu- 
larly true of the Geranium. Left to take care 
of itself it often sends up one long stalk which 
will have a tuft of leaves at the top, and nothing 
more. But a little training will make a most 
shapely plant of any Geranium, if given at the 
right time, which is, while the plant is young. 
By nipping off the top as soon as the stalk begins 
to grow freely, you can induce it to send out 
several other stalks nea r the base, and if these 
are nipped in turn, you eventually get a plant 
with a dozen or more stalks, and these can be 
made to branch at any desired height, so that it 
is a comparatively easy matter to make a com- 
pact, bushy specimen of the plant which, left to 
itself, would have made itself as awkward as it 
IS possible for a plant to be. These busby Ge- 
raniums will have flowering points all over them 
—every little branch being such a point — while 
an untrained plant will generally not have more 
than four or five, if as many. From this it will 
be seen that it pays to give a plant proper treat- 
ment while young, if you want it to take on a 
graceful form, and put itself in a condition to 
afford a liberal quantity of flowers. Old plants 
can be cut back and made to throw out new 
branches, but they can never be made as 
shapely and symmetrical as young plants 
which receive training while they are develop- 
ing. 

Most persons crowd their windows to such an 
extent that some of the plants suffer from lack 
of sufficient light, while all are injured because 
of lack of room in which to fully develop them- 
selves. I would advise having fewer plants at 
the window, and these few finer sisecimens than 
those usually seen there. This can be done by 
allowing more room for each. Half a dozen 
fine plants will afford a great deal more pleas- 
ure ttian two or three times that number of or- 
dinary plants, and half a dozen plants of fair 
size are quite as many as a window of the aver^ 
age size will accommodate satisfactorily. 



42 



THE PRACTICAL GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 



Bulbs for \A/'inter Blooming. 



No collection of flowers is considered com- 
plete nowadays if it do' s not include a varioty 
of bulbs so treated tbat they will come into 
bloom in mid-winter, when few other flowers 
can be depended on to furnish flowers. 

The amateur florist can succeed with bulbs, in 
the house, if she will be guided by certain rules 
which experience has proved to be good ones ; 
rules that it is imperatively necessary one 
should follow in order to insure suc.-ess. A 
gr^at many persons have an idea that about all 
tliey must "do to get tine flowers from bulbs, in 
the' house, in winter, is to put them in a pot of 
earth, give it a place in tbe window, and water 
it whenever they happen to think of it. These 
are the persons who " don't have any luck " with 
bulbs, and who tell all their friends that they 
aren't worth growing. The fact is, with proper 
and intelligent care, it is very easy to flower 
bulbs well, but without such care they are sure 
to fail. Wh^'n grown as they ought to be, few 
flowers give better satisfaction, and, as I have 
said, no collection is complete without some of 
them. 

It must be borne in mind that when we bring 
a bulb into bloom in winter, we are reversing 
the natural order of thingn, which is, that these 
bnlbs shall be dormant at that time. It is, 
therefore, an unnatural orocess, but in order to 
obtain as great a degree of success as possible, 
we must follow out the methods of Nature so 
far as we can understand and imitate them. 

If we plant a bulb in the garden in September 
or October, it will make oo visible growth of top 
that season. But if you were to dig it up any 
time before the closing in of winter, and exam- 
ine it closely, you would find that it had begun 
to make a root-growth. All the fall, after plant- 
ing, and during the winter, it is making active 
preparation for work in spring. As soon as the 
snow melts and the sun shines, it will send up 
a top, and the vigor of its growth at this season 
depends largely on the condition in which its 
roots are. If there is a good development of 
them, this growth will be strong and healthy. 
If the roots are not strong, the growth of the top 
will be proportionately weak. 

In potting bulba from which we desire winter 
flowers, it is necessary, as I have said, to imi- 
tate the processes of Nature, and therefore the 
bulbs must be put away in the dark, after being 
potted, to form roots before they are placed in 
conditions which will induce them to make a 
growth of top. 

If put in a light, warm place as soon as potted, 
roots and top would begin to grow at the same 
time, and as there would be no strong roots to 
nourish and support the top, the development 
of that portion of the plant would be weak, and 
if any flowers resulted they would be inferior. 
By potting the bulbs and putting them away in 
a cool, dark place until roots have formed wo 
imitate tbe conditions which prevail when we 
put them in the ground. It is quite important 
that the dark place in which we store them 
(Should be cool, for too warm a place induces a 



premature top-growth. Absence of light and a 
low temperature encourages the formation of 
roots, because that is natural. In planting 
bulbs in fall, we hide thorn away from the sun- 
shine, and the warmth which characterizus 
summer has gone by, and the soil in which we 
put them is cool, if not cold. Under such con- 
ditions, they form roots. Light and warmth are 
necessary to the formation and development 
of a vigorous, healthy top. Therefore, give the 
bulbs a chance to complete the formation of 
roots first, tben bring them under conditions 
which will encourage a development of leaves 
and flowers. In this way, and in no other, we 
can grow bulbs well in the house. 

I am told bv many who have been advised to 
follow this plan of growing bulbs for winter- 
flowering tbat it is a "whim." But there is no 
whim about it. It is, as I have said, simply 
following Nature's plan. Those who study into 
the matter will see that it is strictly in accord 
with that plan. Those who have planted bulbs 
in the ground in spring, will be sure to tell you 
that they never get good flowers from th>'m. 
The reason why tbey do not is, that thi^y plant 
them under conditions which induce growth of 
root and top at the same tim'^, precisely as is 
the case when we pot bulbs and put the pots 
containing them in the window, at once. There 
is a weak growth resulting in each instance, but 
never a healthy one, because we have interfered 
with the natural method, which is, tbat but one 
kind of work shall be done at a time. The first 
work to be done is the putting forth of roots, 
because they are necessary to the nourishment 
of leaves and flowers. The next stage is that of 
top-growth, which should be delayed until the 
completion of the first. When bulbs are planted 
in the ground in fall. Nature takes them in hand, 
and by her management of conditions she makes 
it easy for them to do such work as is necessary 
at that time, and no other. When we plant them 
in the house we must take the plant in hand, 
and regulate it as nearly as possible as Nature 
would. 

From what I have said above, it will be under- 
stood, by giving the matter a little study and 
thought, that the method of starting bulbs which 
is advised is strictly scientific in its nature, if I 
may be allowed this use of the term. In other 
words, that it is a strictly natural one, or, at any 
rate, is one in which the processes of Nature are 
imitated as closely as possible under the condi- 
tions which prevail. I have made this some- 
what elaborate explanation to convince the in- 
telligent and thoughtful reader that it is not the 
" whim " that some ignorant persons assert it to 
be. Grow bulbs after this plan, and then try 
a few after the plan of those who declare it is 
entirely unnecessarv to be to " all the trouble " 
of following the advice; given, and I know which 
plan you will be lik<dy to follow in the future. 

Tbe proper soil for bulbs in pots is made up 
of loarh, well-rotted manure, and sand in about 
equal parts. It should be worked until very 
mellow, and the manure must bo thoroughly in- 



BULBS FOR WINTER BLOOMING. 



43 



corporat"d with the oth»»r elomects of the soil. 
On no account use fresh manure. It will al- 
ways injure bulbs. 

ta potting bulbs of Hyacinth or Tulip, if six, 
seven, or eight inch pots are used, piu several 
bulbs in the same pot. A mucb better effect is 
secured by massing them in this manner than 
can be secured by planting but one bulb iu a 
pot. Two Tulips or Hyacinths can be grown in 
a five inch pot. Fivo or six can be grown in 
an eight inch pot. In potting the bulbs, press 
them down into the soil so that just the top ot 
the bulb is seen above the surface. Then water 
well, and set them away to form roots. 

It is generally advised to put uewly-polted 
bulbs in the cellar. Prom this it must not be 
understood that a cellar is imperatively neces- 
sai-y to their successful culture. What is needed 
is a place where they can be kept dark and cool. 
The cellar may furnish these conditions, or they 
may be secured by sinking the pots in the 
ground, and banking up about them with coal 
ashes or anything that will effectually exclude 
the light. 

Bulbs that are put out of doors to form roots 
will not be injured by freezing if allowed to 
thaw out gradually. On no account bring them 
into a warm place while frozen. To do that 
would be to put an end to your prospect of 
flowers from them. 

Alter your bulbs have been in the cellar or the 
ground for a month, exarainw them. Turn the 
ball of earth out of a pot, and see if the roots 
have reached the "outside of it. If they have, 
you can begin to bring the pots to the window, 
for you will koow that I'oois enough to healthily 
support th« top have been formed. But do not 
bring them ali at once if you want a succession 
of flowers. By keeping some cf them in a low 
temperature, the growth of top can be retarded. 
It is a good plan to pot bulbs at intervals of two 
weeks, for by doing this, and leaving some in 
the cellar a longer time, we can succeed in hav- 
ing flowers from bulbs for many weeks during 
the winter. 

Most varieties will require to be left in the 
dark for at least a month, and some need a lon- 
ger time in which to root well. All do not come 
forward alike. Some will very likely insist on 
making a growth of top shortly after being 
potted. If you find any that show an inclina- 
tion to do this, it is well to bring them up at 
cues, as they will keep on, after having begun, 
and if they are left in the dark ihf-y will amount 
to nothing. The reason why some bulbs begin 
to grow at once, after potting, is that they have 
been kept in conditions which incite premature 
development. Probably they have been stored 
in too light and warm a place. In a cooler, 
darker place they would have remained dor- 
mant. 

Right here let me anticipate the question 
which many might like to ask relative to the 
care that should be given bulbs after thev have 
completed their winter flowering. Do not at- 
t»^m\it to carry them over for another season. 
While it is true that some bulbs may give a sec- 
ond .reason of bloom in the house, it is equally 
tru<^ that but few of them will do so. As a gen- 
eral thing a bulb that has been forced ia worth- 
less afterward. It cannot be depended on. ft 
is much the best plan to buy fresh, strong bulbs 
eacb seaeoD, 



On bringing your bulbs to the light, after they 
have rooted, do not put them in a very warm 
room. A temperature of 65 degrees is" better 
for them than a higher one. In a low tempera- 
ture, such as would correspond to spring weath- 
er, their development will be healthy, while a 
high one forces them unduly, and you are sure 
to get poor poor, short-lived flowers, if any. 
The probabilities are that in too high a temper- 
ature they will blast. 

When in bloom, the cooler you can keep them 
the longer they will last. 

Hyacinths often show buds shortlv after be- 
ginning to grow. Indeed, leaves and buds fre- 
quently appear at the same time. Quite often, 
when the tip of the flower-spike is seen at such 
an early stagf^ it seems to have exhausted itself 
in getting a start, and will make a very slow de- 
velopment. Sometimes the blossoms will be all 
in a bunch, down among the leaves. As soon 
as you notice a tendency on the part of the 
flower-stalk to not reach up as it ought to, make 
a paper cone the size ot the pot, and, after cut- 
ting off about an inch of its apex, invert it ovrr 
the plant. Through the hole at the top of the 
cone the light will exert its influence on the 
plant, and both leaves and flowpr-stalk will 
reach up toward the opening, and in this man- 
ner you succeed in coaxing the plant out of its 
sulkiness. 

The Hyacinth is one of the most satisfactory 
of all bulbs for forcing. It comes iu beautiful 
colors, is very sweet, and not one bulb in a hun- 
dr'-d will fail to bloom if treated as I have ad- 
vised. 

I Erreatly prefer the single to the double vari- 
eties. They are surer to bloom, and the spike 
of flowers is more graceful because they are not 
so crowded as in the double sorts. 

My favorite Hyacinth is the Eoman. Several 
stalks of flowers are thrown up from each bulb. 
The flowers are loosely and gracefully arranged, 
and the prim effect peculiar to the ordinary vari- 
eties is lacking. They are deliciously sweet. 
Tney come in pink, white, blue and pale yellow. 
You get more flowers from them than you do from 
the ordinary varieties because the latter seldom 
throw up more than one stalk from each bulb. 

Among the Tulips the single sorts are gener- 
ally selected as being most sure to give satis- 
faction. 

The Narcissus or Daffodil is one of the most 
charming bulbs wo have, and all collections of 
winter blooming, plants should include at least a 
dozen cf them. The Chinese " Sacred Lily " be- 
longs to this family. They should be given tho 
same treatment as is advised for Tulip and 
Hyacinth. The best varieties for forcing are : 

Princeps, a magnificpnt flower, with rich yel- 
low trumpet and perianth of pale sulphur. 

Trunapet Major, rich yellow. 

Horsneldii, trumpet, rich yeUow, pure white 
perianth. 

Maximus, orange, large. 

One of the popular forcing flowers is the Ber- 
muda Lily, better known, perhaps, as the Easter 
Lily, because it is brought into flower largely 
about that time. If I were to confine myself to 
one bulb, I should choose this. Nothing can be 
finer than a large specimen of this noble plant, 
crowned with a great cluster of trumpet-shap-'d 
flowers of th'< purest white, and most delight- 
fully fragrant. I grow a great many of them 



di 



THE PRACTICAL GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 




'..BYAOINTB,. 



BULBS FOR WINTER BLOOMING. 



is 



every season, and have excellent success with 
them. My method is to put three or four large 
and healthy bulbs in each nine or ten inch pot. 
1 fill the pot about half full of such compost as I 
have advised for other bulbs, and press the bulbs 
of the Lily down into it well, but do not covfjr 
them. Then I set the pots away in a shady 
place — but it need not be very dark or cool— as 
i* has been my experience that they will not 



cause of the greater substance of its flowers. 
Mauy try to bring Lily of the Valley into bloom 
in the house, and almost always they fail because 
they give it the treatment advised for bulhs. 
The "pips" should be procured from some re- 
liable dealer— not a bunch of weak, inferior 
ones chopped up from the run-out plants in the 
garden. Keep them frozen, if possible, until 
you are ready to force them. Then put them in 




BERMUDA LILY. 



make top-growth until good roots have been 
formed, whother in or out of the cellar. As 
soon as the stalk begins to put up, add more 
earth, and as it reaches up fill in about it until 
you have the pot full of soil. The reason for 
doing this is that the roots which support the 
stalk are sent out above the bulb. By giv- 
ing it earth to put forth these roots in, it will 
not be necessary to furnish a stick for its sup- 
port. 

Lilium Longiflorum is, by some, considered 
euperior to L. Harrissii, the Bermuda Lily, be- 



moss, and place them where they can have a 
steady heat of eighty or ninety degrees. The 
moss should be kept moist at all times. They 
should be shad'^d with cloth until the stems are 
two or three inches high. Then the shading 
should be removed in order to give the flowers 
a chance to develop. This treatment, you will 
observe, is such as can hardly be given in the 
living-room. A greenhouse is needed for forc- 
ing this flower. I cannot advise the amateur to 
undertakt^ its culture in winter if he has only an 
ordinary window in which to grow it. _ 



46 



THE PRACTICAL GUIDE TO FLOTHCULTURE. 



Some of the Best House Plants. 



It would be impossible, in the limits assigned i The Geranium. 
me, to give a complete liet of the plants a^lapted | At the head of the list I would place the Ge- 
to culture in the house. I shall therefore, in i ranium. This plant succeeds where others fai). 
this chapter, speak of the Wat o'lly— that is. It blooms freely the greater part of the yeai-. 
those which succeed best under such conditions It is rich and varied in color. It requires the 
as generally prevail in the house. ' very minimum of care. Any one can grow it, 




'sj^Bi.7?r ae/rv 



OSItANIUai. 



fiOME OF THE BEST HOUSE PLANTS. 



47 



and successfully, who will give it the soil and 
water it needs, and keep it from freezing. 

It does well in any garden loam made light 
with sand. If some leaf mold or turfy matter 
from the roadside or beneath the eods of old 
pastures is added, all the better. Water should 
only be given as the surface of the soil in the 



the most distinct sorts adapted to general cul- 
ture: 

Mary Hallock Foote, white, with salmon cen- 
ter. Very fine. 

Souvenir de Mirande, peachy-pink, sofifused 
with white in such a manner that it is hard to 
tell whether pink or white predominates. A 




pot seems to be dry. Then give enough to 
moisten the soil all through. 

This plant does best in a temperature that 
does not exceed 65 dog., but can stand one of 70 
or 75 deg. better than most plants. Fifteen or 
20 deg. lower at night seems to suit it well. 

There are so many fine sorts that it is a very 
difficult matter to select the best. Perhaps the 
following among the flowering varieties include 



"fancy" variety. Always in bloom. One of 
the best. 

Master Christine, bright carmine-rose, with 
white eye and markings. A great bloomer. 

Advance, rosy scarlet. 

Jewel, crimson. 

Mrs. Jas. Vick, salmon. 

Marguerite de Layers, pure white. 

The above are single sorts. These I consider 



48 



THE PRACTICAL GUIDE TO FLOBICVLTUIiE. 



hpst lor the bonsc. I have named but one va- 
riety of each color. You will find long lists of 
most desirable kinds in all the catalogues, and 
nearly all are good. 

The double varieties are better adapted to 
bedding out. 

Among the variegated sorts, I like Mad. Salle- 
roi best. It is a low, bushv sort, with pale green 
foliage bordi-red with white. It requires no 
training, and always has a profuse quantity ot 



pleasing odor. Dr. Livingston has finely-cut 
loUage, and is excellent lor cut-work. The Nut- 
meg and Apple Geraniums have small leaves, 
possessing a spicy, fruity odor. 

The Ivy-leaved section is of slender habit of 
growth, and must be given a trellis or some 
similar support. Their leaves are shaped like 
tUose of the English Ivy, hence the name. Their 
flowers are double and single, in a great variety 
of colore. 




foliage, which is something that cannot bo said 
of the tall-growing green and white varieties. 
It is excellent for use among other plants, as its 
green and white leaves are almost as attractive 
as flowers. Marshal MacMahon is a variety 
having dark-green leaves heavily zoned with 
brown. Happy Thought has a green leaf 
blotched with yellow at the center. A few plants 
of these varieties add greatly to the attraction 
of a window in winter, or at times when there 
are few flowers. 

Among the fragrant-leaved kinds, the Kose 
stands at the head for beauty of foliage and 



Fuchsias. 

These flowers are summer bloomers, with bnt 
one exception. Specioea will bloom in winter, 
and all the year round if allowed to do so. I 
cannot advise any other variety for winter cul- 
ture. 

This plant likes a light, spongy soil. Leaf 
mold and sand, drained well, suits it exactly. 
Shift from time to time as the roots fill the old 
pots. If allowed to get dry at the roots, or to 
become pot-boimd, the leaves and buds often 
droop. Great care must therefore be taken to see 
that the soil is always moist, and that the roots 



SOME OF THE SEST HOUSE PLANTS. 



49 



have considerable space to spread in. Shower 
the foliage freely every day. This is important, 
as tbe red spider likes to work on this plant, 
and will do so unlesa it is kept moist. 

There are a great many varieties, both double 
and single. Two of the best double soits are 
Phenomenal, very large, sepals scarlet, corolla 
purple, and Sirs. E. G. Hill, sepals scarlet and 
corolla white. Elm City is a scarlet and purple 



Abutilons. 

This plant, often called Flowering Mapl«^, be- 
cause of the resemblance of its foliage to that 
of our native Maple, and sometimes Chinese 
Bell-Flower, because of the shape of its blos- 
soms, is one of the very best house-plants we 
have. It grows freely, blossoms continuously, 
and is seldom attacked by insects. It does well 
I in the soil recommended for general use. It 






1 




PEIMULA OBCONICA. 



sort of medium size. It is one of the best. 
Among the single kinds, I like best Convent 
Garden, white sepals and rose corolla, and Rose 
Perfection, white and rose. Rose of Castile, 
white and violet, is very fine. Speciosa has 
flesh-colored sepals and red corolla. Do not 
attempt to make winter bloomers of any other 
variety. Let them bloom in summer, as they 
will, with the greatest profusion, if properly 
cared for, and put the plants in the cellar in 
November. There keep them rather dry. Bring 
them up in March, give water and light, and 
they will soon start into growth. Cut them back 
at least half, repot, and in a few weeks they 
will begin to bloom. 



can be trained in tree-form, or allowed to take 
on a shrubby shape. The following varieties 
are among the most distinct and desirable : 
Bouie de Neige, pui'e white. 
Crusader, dark crimson. 
Golden Fleece, clear yellow. 
Roseum, pink veined with white- 
There are several varieties with handsomely 
variegated foliage, the beet being Eclipse, of 
drooping habit, with leaves thickly blotched 
with yellow. This is fine for use as a bracket- 
plant". 

Primula Obconica. 

This plant I consider one of our very best 



50 



TEE PRACTICAL aUIBE TO FLORTCULTURE. 



house-plants, because of ita very easy culture 
and its free and constant habit of fiowerint?. It 
is never without flowers. It is not as showy as 
some plants, because of its color, but it is vi'rr 
beautiful, and those who ^ivo it a trial will not 
willingly be without it afterward. Its foliage 
forma athick mass at the top of the pot, above 
which it throws up slender stalks, bearing clus- 
ters of flowers, sometimes pure white, some- 
times tint!^d with lilac. These flowers are small, 
individually, but there are many in each cluster, 
and the efl'ect is very fine. One of our very best 



It has very beautiful foliage, of a rich, dark 
green, and grows rapidly, sending out branches 
here, there, eveywhere, so that an old plant 
seems a perfect fountain of foliage. The older 
it grows the more'aitractive it becomes. Of tbe 
easiest culture. This is one of the few plants 
that will do well in comparative shade. 

Tbe Begonia. 

The Begonia is a most popular house-plant, 
because it has beautiful fcliage, fine flowers, 
blooms freely and almost constantly, and is of 




plants for winter use. It requires a good deal 
of water. 

Hoza. 

This plant, generally called Wax Plant, bo- 
cause of the thick texture of its leaves, is a 
vine. It does well in rooms where there is con- 
siderable warmth. It can be trained over the 
window or on a trelllis. Its flowers are star- 
shaped, flesh colored and chocolate, and very 
Bweet. They are produced in pendant clusters 
at intervals during the year. Do not disturb the 
roots of this plant if you want it to bloom 
well. Do not cut off the stems where flowers 
are produced, as other flowers will be borne on 
them at the next season of flowering. 

Tbe Englisb Ivy. 

If asked to name the best vine for house- 
culture, I would at once choose the English Ivy. 



such easy culture that anyone can succeed with 
it. It does best in a light, fibrous soil, of leaf 
mold. Water moderately, but never allow it to 
get dry. Keep in an east window, or, if in a 
southera one, out of the hot sunshine. 

There are many fine sorts. The following are 
among the most desirable of the flowering kinds : 

Rubra, coral red. Always in bloom. 

Wiitoniensis.pink, with very beautiful foliage. 
A great bloomer. One of the best. 

Semperflorens Gigantea Rosea, a remarkably 
strong grower, with very large, rich foliage and 
cardinal red flowers. 

Sulion's Snowllake, pure white. 

There are many varieties having finely varie- 
gated foliage, of which I would advise the fol- 
lowing for general cultivation : 

Manicata aurea, leaves darkgreon, in-t^gularly 
marbled and blotched with creamy white and 
rich yellow. Very tine and easily grown. 



SOME OF THE BEST HOUSE PLANTS. 



51 



Alba pic<a,*upright grower, loavea epotttod 
wi^h wbite.*^ *~ 

Argantea^giMatci,^\QiyQS of a bronzy olive, 
marked with silver? A strong grower. 

Albia, very|beautiful, green and olive, with 
rich veinings. 



Its flowers are mostly lavender and purple, or 
grayish blue. They are of most exquisite fra- 
grance. If the plant is given plenty of water, 
kept in a euuny window, and cut back from time 
to time, it will bloom the year round. Excellent 
for use in small bouquets. 




CAKXATION. 



Diadema, large leaves, of palmate character, 
heavily spotted with white. 

Metallica, bronze green, veined with crimson. 
Very fine. 

The Rpx Begonias are not adapted to general 
bouse culture. The varieties named above are 
nearly as fine, and do as well in the sitting-room 
as the flowering kinds. 

The Heliotrope. 

^This is aa.oW favorite, and deservedly so. 



Carnation. 

The Carnation stands next to the Rose in pop- 
ularity. It is a beautiful flower, and its spicy 
sweetness givesitan additional charm, It would 
surprise the reader if bo knew how many hun- 
dreds of acres of this flower are grown under 
glass, for the winter trade, in all the large cities. 
Many growers cut thousands of flowers daily, 
during the entire season. 

In growing it for the house, I would advise 
planting the young plant;? in the garden bed 



THE PRACTICAL aUIBE TO FLORICULTURE. 



during the summer. Watch them closely, and 
as soon as you see a flower-stalk, cut it off. Do 
not allow one flower to grow in (»ummer. By 
cutting the plant back, you oblige them to be- 
come bushy and compact, and you get a much 
better plant for winter use. Give a soil of gar- 
den loam, without leaf mold. Drain it well. Do 



not keep very warm, but give plenty of sunehine. 
Shower daily, or the red spider will attack the 
plants. 

The following are excellent varieties : 

Silver Spray, pure white. 

Grace Wilder, delicate pink. 

Tidal Wave, pink. 




AMABYLLIS. 



SOME OF THE BEST HO USE PLANTS. 



53 



Portia, scarlet. 

Col, Wilder, scarlet, flaked with maroon. 
Buttercup, yellow, marked with carmine. 
Do not give very large pots. 

The Calla. 

An old favorite. The foliage, in itself, is very 
attractive, and the plant would be well worth 
growing if it had no flowers. The blossoms are 
creamy white, large, and borne on long, stout 
ptalks, lifted well above the foliage. To grow 
this plant to perfection, one must give it a very 
rich soil. The finest specimen of this plant that 



drouth cornea on, during which the soil in 
which the plant grows becomes perfectly dry. 

The Amaryllis. 

The Amaryllis is a magnificent plant for win- 
dow culture. Its large, lily-shaped flowers, of 
rich colors and stately habit, always attract at- 
tention and admiration. Many persons fail with 
it because they keep it growing all the time. 
This is wrong. Growth should be encouraged 
until it ceases— that ia, the growth of foliage. 
When no more leaves are sent up, withhold wa- 
ter, and allow the soil to get moderately dry. 




CYCLAMEN. 



I ever saw was grown in a tin powder-can as 
large as an ordinary pail. The bottom was 
punched full of holes. This can was placed in 
a large pail containing liquid manure, which 
the roots of the plaut drank up at will. The 
result was leaf-stalks nearly four feet tall, and 
twenty-one flowers from one plant during the 
winter. The Calla likes a good deal of water 
while growing, and does best if allowed to get 
dry during the summer. This gives it alternate 
periods of growth and rest, which is natural, as 
the plant comes from the Nile, where, at certain 
seasons, everything is flooded, and tbeu a 



Generally, a flower-stalk will be the first indica- 
tion of renewed growth. If the plant does not 
intend to bloom, new leaves will be the first in- 
dication of growth. Then give water more 
freely until the growing period comes to an 
end. By giving alternate periods of growth and 
rest, the culture of this bulb can be made suc- 
cessful, but by keeping the plant growing all 
the time, or rather, by keeping it mojst at the 
roots all the time, and consequently in a condi- 
tion favorable to growth, it becomes weakened 
to such an extent that it often fails to bloom. 
There are several superb sorts to be obtaiaed 



54 



THE PRACTICAL G UIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 



at reasonable prices. Among tbese are : 
Johnsonii, scarlet, striped with white. 
Equestro, salmon pink, blotched with white. 
Aulica, rosy scarlet, with green stripe. 



season. Tbe foliage is very prettily, marked 
I with silvery green on a dark ground. The flow- 
1 ers are rosy crimson and magenta, of peculiar 
I shape, freely produced. 




Cyclamen. 

This plant is well-known as a good winter 
bloomer. It is of the easiest culture. Care 
should be taken to have about one-third the 
rorm bolow the surface of the soil. Keep quite 
dry in summer, and in a cool, shady placf . In 
September, give more water, and start it into 
growth, I would ftdviee getting new roots each 



Agapanthus. 

A beautiful summer -bloomer, with thick, 
fleshy roots. An evergreen, therefore it can be 
kept growing the year round. In Mav or Juno 
it throws up stalks three or four leet tall, bear- 
ing imminise clusters of small, lily-shaped flow- 
ers of a delicate blue, striped with white. Very 
fine. 



SOME OF THE BEST ROUSE PLAINTS. 



Imantopbyllutn. 

This is a member of the Amaryllis family, but 
ia not bulbous. It has thick, fl>'ehy roots like 
thn Agapautbus. At intervals, during the year, 
ii. sends up a stalk afoot or more in height, bear- 
ing from six to a dozen blossoms of a soft orange 
with yellow throat, shaped like a Lily. Of the 
very easiest culture. An evergreen, therefore 
to bo kept growing all the time. 

Vallotta. 

A member of the Amaryllis family, bloomins; 
every year in August and September. Its 
flowers are of a very rich scarlet. Treat like 
Imantophyllum. Disturb the bulbs as little as 
possible. 



Cacti. 

This class of plants is well-adapted to culture 
in living rooms, as it likes a warm place, and 
does not suffi'r from dry air as many other 
plants do. The Pbyllocacti are among our most 
magnificent flowering plants. Their flowers are 
of the richest colors and striking form. The 
Epiphyllums are very free bloomers, and will 
grow under most unfavorable conditions. But 
it pays to give these plants good care. If one is 
unfamiliar wilh the Cactus family, I would advise 
her to send to A. Blanc, 314 'North Eleventh 
St., Philadelphia, Pa., for " Hints on Cacti"— a 
very valuable little book on the culture of this 
most interesting class of plants, which will bo 
sent free. The grotesque forms assumed by 




CHINESE PRIMROSE. 



Acbania. 

A constant-flowering plant, of habit similar to 
that of the Abutilon. Flowers scarlet. Never 
attacked by any insect. Not a free bloomer, 
yet never without a few flowors. One of the 
most reliable of all plants. Can be kept for 
years, and rei»ewed from time to time, by cut- 
ting back sharply. 

Cestrum. 

This is a member of the Jessamine family, of 
exceedingly easy culture. Grows rapidly in a 
rich loam. C. auranticum has tubular yellow 
flowers, borne in spikes. C. porquii is the night- 
blooming variety, having greenish-white flowers 
which emit a very rich, powerful odor after 
nightfall. Both varieties become good-sized 
Bbrube. 



many varieties gives them a sort of fascination 
for the student of plants, which soon develops 
into a genuine Cactus craze. In this class is 
found the Night-Blooming Cereus, and other 
celebrated varieties, of which we frequently 
read or hear mention made. 

The Chinese Primrose. 

This is one of the best winter-bloomers we 
have. It is too well known to require descrip- 
tion. The single and d 'uble white varieties 
have long been cultivated by plant-growers, al- 
most to the exclusion of the pink, red and darker 
sorts. The florists have lately taken this plant 
in hand, and some of the nf>w strains are won- 
derful improvements on old varieties, both in 
size and color of the flowers. Be sore to have 
half a dozen plants of this Primrose. Give a 



56 



THE PRACTICAL GUIDE TO FLORICULTUTiE. 



light, spongy soil, and pot high— that iw, have 
the crown of the plaut elevated above the sur- 
face of the soil well, so that water, when applied, 
will run away from the crown and toward the 
sides of the pot. If allowed to run about the 
crown, and stand there, decay often sets in, aud 
in a short time the plant is injured. I would 
advise getting young, strong plants each year in 
spring. 

Itnpatiens Sultani. 

This plant, sometimes called Zanzibar Balsam, 
is an ever-bloomer. It bears scares of flowers, 
daily, of a soft carmine, which contrasts well 
with the rich green foliage. It likes a good 



Its long fronds are sent up from the roots in 
great profusion. T:iis does well in the sitting- 
room, if kept moist at the roots. 

Otbanna. 

One of our verv best hanging plants. Flow- 
ers yellow. Fond of the sunshine. 

Sauseviera. 

A plant having long, thick foliage of green, 
curiously mottled with gray. Of the easiest pos- 
sible culture. Will grow in shady places where 
nothifjg else will. Fine for halls and vestibules. 
Capable of standing heat, dust, and dry air much 




deal of water and a light, spongy soil. Give a 
shady place. Avery bright, cheerful, attractive 
plant. 

Ferns. 

Some varieties of Fern oan be grown quite 
successfully in the house, if care is taken to 
give them proper soil, and it is kept moist at 
all times. Leaf-mold and sand suits them 
better than loam. Ptoris tremuia is a pretty 
variety. P. argenta is a variety having a strip 
of silvery whito down the center of the fronds, 
and is a charming plant. Adiantum cioietUnm 
is a delicately fronded sort that always attracts 
attention. There are many other varieties from 
which selection can be made, but I would not 
advise choosing tho delicate kinds, as they do 
not succeed in living-rooms. They must have 
a moist atmosphere. Nephrolepais cxaltaia is 
the Sword Fern, and is excellent for baskets. 



better than any of the Palms. A very desirable 
plant. 

Oxalis. 

Another good baaket-plant, also fond of sun- 
shine. Flowers pink, freely produced, and very 
sweet. Foliage uke that of" clover. Grown from 
tubers. 

Pltiniha^o. 

A free-flowering, shrubby plant, having flow- 
ers shaped like those of the Phlox, in loose 
clusters. Their color is a most delightful, soft 
blue— a quite unusual one among house plants. 
Of easy culture. Cut the branches back well 
after each period of blooming. New ones will 
soon be sent out, and those will produce new 
flowers. P. caiJen.iix is the blue variety. P. alba 
is whiiie. P. rosea has red flowers. P. capensis 
is the best sort. 



SOME OF THE BEST HOUSE PLANTS. 



57 



Oleander. , , . 

A favorite small tree or shrub. A great 
bloomer dm-ing the summer months. Its large 
clusters of rosy-carmitie flowers are almost as 
beautiful as Roses. Give this plant a hght, 
rich, sanrly soil, and plenty of water while grow- 
ing. 



and plenty of water. Given these, with consid- 
erable root-room, fine plants can be grown by 
any one. Small pots should be used at first. 
Shift the plants as the pots become filled with 
roots. From three inch pots, for the young 
plants, to ten anfl twelve inch pots for large 



sanrlv soil, ana pieniyui wdbtji wmic piuvr- pia,uuo, ^.^ u-^^ "^^ - ..,-.., v. .„^„ ^^.^ — ---o- 
Cut back from time to time, to make it plants, the change being made m three or four 




CHRYSANTHEirOM. 



bushy and compact. Can be wintered in the 
cellar, where it should be kept pretty dry. Large 
specimens are very beautiful when in bloom. 

The Cbrysantbemnm. 

No plant is more popular to- day than the 
Chrysanthemum. And this is not to be won- 
dered at, because no plant blooms with greater 
profusion, or is easier to succeed with. 

The secret of successful culture of the Chrys- 
anthemum is rich soil— it can hardly be too rich, 



shifts, is about right. Let the soil be strong, 
rich, and mellow. Water daily, and in liberal 
quantities. Make it a point to never let the 
plants get dry at the roots. If they do, they 
will be checked, and from this check they will 
never recover fully. . 

There are so many fine varieties that it woulcl 
be useless to attempt to make a choice here. 
Consult the catalogues, and select such colors, 
from each class, as suit you best. I think tho 
Chinese varieties give the best satisfaction. 



58 



THE PB ACTIO AL GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 



After blooming, the tops can be cut off, and 
the pots set away in the cellar. Give no water 
during winter, unless the soil is in danger of 
getting dust-dry. In spring, bring up the pots, 
and water well. lu a short time sprouts will 
be sent up all over the surface of the soil. 
Cut these apart in such a manner as to retain 
a piece of root with each, and put them off 
into small pots. Then proceed as advised 
above. 

I shall not extend this list. Those who suc- 
ceed with the kinds named can add to their 
collections by selecting from the catalogues. 
Grow these well, and jou will be able to under- 



take the cultivation of others requiting more 
careful treatment. But contiue yourself to this 
list until you have acquired the experience 
which justifies you in " branching out." 

I have not included the Rose, because I find 
it almost impossible to grow it well under such 
conditions as generally prevail in ordinary liv- 
ing-rooms. No pla^it is more difficult to grow 
well, and unless one can grow a plant well it is 
better not to attempt its cultivation. If one 
cares to experiment with Roses, I would adviso 
Queen's Scarlet, Agripijiua, crimson, and Her- 
mosa, bright pink, yuccess will come with these 
varieties, if any. 



PLANTS FOR DECORATIVE PURPOSES. 



&3 



Plants for Decorative Purposes. 



So prevalent has the use of Palms, Ficuses 
an^l other plants of similar character become, 
at recHptions, parties ol ail kinds, and, in fact, 
for daily home-life decoration of the ball and 
parlor, that a demand is growing for a better 
and more practical knowledge of what plants 
will succeed under such conditions as usually 
prevail in the rooms m which they are to be 
used, also the proper care to give them to keep 
them in health. 

Perhaps the most popular plants for decora- 
tive purposes are the Palms, because of their 
peculiar and striking foliage ; also because they 
are plants that stand a good deal of neglect 
without immediately showing the result of it. 
One fine specimen of the Palm family will do 
more to produce a fine effect in the parlor or 
hall than a dozen ordinary plants. The half- 
dozen ordinary plants will be passed without 
notice, Avhile the fine Palm will always attract 
attention because of its dignity, whicli is bound 
to assort itself under all conditions. 

There are many varieties of the Palm in culti- 
vation among florists, but there are but few sorts 
adapted to general decorative purposes. 

Latania Borhonica is one of the " stand-bys." 
It is not a tall grower, but it is useful for promi- 
nent places where tall plants would not answer, 
as before a mirror, or at the base of a piece of 
statuary. Its leaves are broad. Their edges are 
split into segments. In color it ia a rich dark 
green. This variety stands the dry air of the 
living room better than any other with which I 
am familiar. It is one of the plants that im- 
prove with age. 

Phoenix reclinata is a variety quite unlike the 
one just described in habit. Its leaves are long 
and pinnatitied. They are thrown out in all 
directions from the crown of the plant, and as 
they remain in gooi condition a long time, an 
old plant will olten have twenty-five or thirty at 
a time, and the effect is that of a fountain of fol- 
iage. Of easy cultivation. 

Soforthia elegans is of most graceful habit, 
having long and beautifully arched leaves. 
Nothing can be finer for the center of a group 
than a fine specimen of this variety. It is not 
so easily grown as the two sorts described. It 
must be given perfect drainage, and be kept 
entirely free from scale, in order to remain in 
health. If ovei'-watpred, you soon see the effects 
of it by the tips of the leaves turning brown. 

Chaperops excelsa is another good kind for 
general cultivation. It is 8omethit}glike Latania 
Borhonica in habit, but has leaves still more 
deeply split. 

Areca lutescens is one of the most, beautiful 
varieties in cultivation. Indeed, if I were to 
select bat one for general usf>, I think it would 
be this. Its foliage has a plum°-like form that 
is extremely graceful, and the habit of the plant 
is very neat. 

Cocos Wedeliana is the daintiest of all Palma 



in general appearance. Its leaves are almost as 
delicate as those of some varieties of F^rn. A 
small plant is a charming ornament for the 
table at a dinner party. It must have the best 
of drainage, be showered daily, and kppt per- 
fectly free from all insects if you would succeed 
with it. 

Washingtonia rdbusta. This is a variety from 
southern California. It is of quite rapid growth, 
and on this account will bettor suit many ama- 
teur florists who are impatient of results. This 
kind is very fine for use on porches, verandas, 
and in the garden m summer. 

The roots of nearly all varieties of the Palm 
have an inclination to run down rather than 
spread out. This being the case, deep pots are 
much better suited to their needs than shallow 
ones. 

While most varieties are fond of water, they 
do not want so much of it that the soil becomes 
wet, like mud. Provide drainage if you want 
your plants to do well. That given, there will 
be very little danger of over-watering. 

A good soil for Palms is composed of loam 
and turfy matter, with some sand mixed in. Give 
them a partially shadpd location at all times, 
and be sure to keep them out of the hot blaze of 
the summer sun if you want them to retain their 
rich green color. 

Showering is very important. In applying 
water to the foliage, do it thoroughly. See that 
water reaches every part of them. If this is 
always done, you will have them always clean, 
therefore ready for use in the parlor at any mo- 
ment. The red spider will not attack them if 
they are showered daily and thoroughly, and a 
stream of water thrown against them forcibly 
will dislodge the mealy bug, and keep him frohi 
getting established on them. Scale often at- 
tacks them. In order to get rid of this pest, you 
will have to scrub the stalks and leaves with a 
stiff brush, dipped in soapsuds. An application 
of the emulsion of kerosene, advised in another 
chapter, will put this pest to rout. 

Ficus elastica, better known as Rubber Plant, 
is admirably adapted for use in rooms where 
the air is dry, and the thermometer gets away 
up among the eighties, because of the thick, re- 
sistant texture of its foliage. Its leaves are gen- 
erally ten or twelve inches in length, four or five 
in width, and very thick. They are very per- 
sistent, if the plant is properly cared for, and a 
well-developed specimen ought to have foliage 
all along its branches. If neglected, they fall 
oflf, and none ever come to take their places. A 
plant without foliage along its branches is not 
particularly pleasing, therefore it is well to do 
what can he done to prevent loss of foliage. It 
is generally too little water, too dry an air, and 
too hot a room, or too small a pot that causes 
the leaves to drop. See that the soil is always 
moist, and never allow the pot to become crowded 
with roots. Any good soil seems to suit it. Wash 



CO 



THE PRACTICAL GUIBIS TO FLOBICVLTURE. 



the leavea at loast once a week to koeiJ them 
clean and prevent insects from getting a foot- 
hold. 

Grevillea robusla is quite unlike any other 
plant used for general decorative purposes. Its 
foliage is so finely cut that it is often mistaken 
for some variety of Fern. It grows to be quite a 
tree, and on tbis account it is very highly prized 
for use in rooms where a tall specimen is wanted. 
It is quite a rapid grower. Young specimeus 
are as valuable as older plants, because they 
are always graceful and symmetrical in form, 
and they can be used as dinner-table decora- 
tions. 

A rather light, rich soil suits this plant. It is 
very tractable, and can be trained in any form 
desirt>d, as it branches freely. Give good drain- 
age, water freely, and shower daily. 

Aucuba Japobica. This plant is generally 
known as the Gold Dust Plant, because of its 
peculiar variegation. The leaves are quite large, 
of thick and heavy texture, and a glossy, dark 
green in color, and seem to be covered with a 
shower of yellow particles, which are nothing 
but a variegation of yellow, so finely aad evenly 
distributed that they simulate a powdoring of 
gold. This plant is excellent for use among 
larger ones. 

Euonymus variegata is a plant having beauti- 
ful foliage of richest green, edged, blotched, and 
uniquely marked with bright yoUow. It grows 
in the form of a tree with but little training, and 
is always useful. Its bright yellow is a good sub- 
stitute" for flowers. One such plant, among 
others having plain green foliage, lights up the 
collection wonderfully, and enhances the b-auty 
of all of them by the contrast of color it afl:'ords. 
This, as well as the Aucuba, likes a somewhat 
heavy soil of loam. Water well and shift to 
larger pots as the roots fill the old ones. Shower 
well to keep down the red spider, and if scale or 
mealy bug attacks them, apply kerosene emul- 
sion. 

Araucaria is a plant seldom seen in home 
collections. It is sometimes called Moreton 
Bay Pine. It is an evergreen, having foliage 
something hke that of our native Hemlock, 
though hardly as flat, and not as evenly dis- 
posed on each side the branch. It grows very 
symmetrically without training. A fine, large 
specimen is a magnificent ornament to any 
room. Its gracefully arched branches, thickly 
set with leaves, its rich, dark color, and its 
peculiar appearance, make it noticeable wher- 
ever seen. Keep it out of doors in a shady 
place during the summer. 

Aspidistra is an excellent plant for " filling 
in." By that, I mean that it has the habit of 
growth which adapts it to use among other and 
taller plants. Its foliage is about a foot and a 
half long, Bont up directly from the roots, oa 



stalks perhaps six inches long. The surface 
of the soil soon becomes covered. As the 
foliage spreads out above the pot, a specimen 
soon produces a massive, "low-down" ef- 
fect, which makes this plant a most useful addi- 
ti'in to the list of plants suitable for room deco- 
ration. The leaves are thick in texture, dark in 
color, and very lasting. A. hirida variegata is a 
variety having foliage broadly striped with white. 
S.^me leaves will be half white, half green; 
others will have several stripes of white on a 
green ground. This plant is of the easiest pos- 
sible cultivation. Give it a soil of loam and leaf- 
mold or spongy matter from old sods, a shady 
place, and plenty of water at its roots and over- 
head, and it asks no more. I know of no plant 
that requires less care. I have never known it 
to be attacked by any insect. It is always healthy. 
It is always in presentable condition. 

The old English Ivy is not used in the decora- 
tion of rooms as much as it ought to be. Be- 
cause of its habit of growth it can bo used with 
telling effect in situations where other plants 
are useless. Train some of the long branches 
about the arch of a doorway, instead of thin- 
foliaged Asparagus or Smilax generally used 
there, and notice what a dignity it gives the 
place. Let it run up the side of the mantel and 
mass itself over it, with its branches falling 
carelessly at the other side, and note-the dilier- 
encc between it and most vines used for room 
decoration. Smilax and Asparagus answer very 
well for table decoration, but lor place.s where a 
more strong and massive eflect is desired, the 
Ivy is much more suitable. 

Give it a soil of loam and sand, well drained. 
If the soil becomes worn out, add some bone- 
dust to it. A very large pot is not needed. 

This plant is quite subject to attacks of scale. 
In case this pest gets established on it, apply 
kerosene emulsion. But prevent his getting a 
foothold by frequent showerings and washings 
of the plant. In applying the emulsion, the 
best method is to coil the vines in a tub and then 
pour a large quantity of the emulsion over them. 
In this way you are sure that every portion of 
them is reached. 

The Ivy does bettor in a shady place whore 
no direct light comes than any other plant I 
know anything of. Especial care should be 
taken to keep this plant in a healthy condition. 
If it suffers from lack of nutriment, from too 
littlfi water, or from attacks of insects, it di"ops 
its leaves often, and when the vines are naked 
a great portion of their length, the beauty of the 
plaut is sadly marred. When this takes place, 
I shift the plants to larger pots or tubs, and coil 
the naked jjortiou of the branches about the 
plant, just below the surface of the soil. Here 
they throw out roots and the plant goes on grow- 
ing as if aothiug had happened. 



% 




LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



DOOmnE^Bl 




